


Punishment

by OzarkGirl



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Anal Play, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Oral Sex, Rape/Non-con Elements, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-01-21 18:46:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 87,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1560374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzarkGirl/pseuds/OzarkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth is tired of others perception of her and she's about to change it and possibly grow from it. Transitioning from PWP to full blown story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Punishment

**Punishment**

**This is my first attempt at writing so please be constructive in your criticism. Takes place at the prison and Beth is 19! Just my attempt at Bethyl smut. I do not own TWD or any of the characters.**

**Warning: Does contain spanking and rough sex.**

 

         Daryl shook his head, damn girl never listened to him he thought as he watched the petite blonde sneak out into the dark courtyard to light up a cigarette. Reaching into his flannel pocket he pulled out his pack of Camels and counted, damn, he wasn’t just one short, but two- she was practically begging for him to throttle her. She had no idea how hard it was getting to find a pack of smokes, every supply run he went on had him turning the place upside down to find his nicotine fix and here was this damn girl stealing from him! The first time he’d caught her trying to lift a cigarette from his things had been on the farm, he remembered how she had tried to play innocent with her big blue eyes widening as she stuttered out some lame ass excuse. No, Daryl knew better, Beth sure as hell wasn’t the wide-eyed innocent farmer’s daughter she tried to portray and he was gonna teach her a lesson she’d never forget.

       He watched from the watch tower as she finished his cigarette before walking back into the walls of the prison. A smirk graced his face as he thought about his revenge, lil girl didn’t know who she was messing with and he was gonna take pleasure in watching her squirm. Telling her pa of her little habit would be a mere slap on the wrist in his opinion, she’d take on a couple more chores and after a month he knew the temptation would be too much and one by one his cigarettes would start going missing again. Biting his thumb he scanned the fence line, everything was quiet tonight which he was thankful for. He had a couple more hours to plot before Glenn would come up and he was definitely using his time wisely.

            It took nine long days for everything to fall into place and set his plan into action, by the end of today Beth would know better than to take anything from him. It was a perfect day, the sun was out, a cool breeze kept the heat bearable, and everybody was out in the yard enjoying the day. Everybody except Beth who was inside, according to Hershel she was stuck in bed with a horrible sinus headache due to the spring allergens in the air, she was to stay inside and rest, doctors’ orders. Daryl knew better though, he’d left a brand new pack on his stand next to his bunk and the temptation to lift a couple for her addiction was just too great, he was gonna catch her red handed. Slinking away from his corner where he’d been keeping an eye out while pretending to change the oil on one of the cars, he made his way into the prison walls.

            Quickly but quietly he made his way to the cellblock and up the stairs to his cell, he wasn’t disappointed when he found Beth carefully replacing his pack in the exact same fashion she’d found it. Leaning on the cell door he crossed his arms and waited for her to turn around and face him. As she turned to leave, the shocked expression that came across her face was priceless this was definitely worth the wait Daryl thought.

“Whatcha got there?” He nodded his head towards her hands which quickly made their way behind her back. Daryl smirked, she was gonna do this the hard way, the thought excited him.

“What do you mean? I was just lookin’ for dirty clothes, figure I wouldn’t be completely useless today,” Beth made an attempt to step around him but his arm blocked her.

“Now, I’ma nice guy, so I’ma give ya another chance here Beth. Whatcha got behind your back?”

She had the balls to look him straight in the eye as she answered him, “Nothin’, now let me pass.”

            Daryl moved quickly as he grabbed her arms and brought them out from hiding, there tightly held in her palm where three of his Camels. He tsked as she stared up at him with the same doe-eyed expression she had given him the first time he had caught her.

“Girl, I done told ya to stay out of my stuff back at yer place, and yet here ya are, caught red handed an’ ya have the nerve ta lie ta me? Wha’ would yer daddy say, knowin’ he raised a thief an’ a liar?” He had no intention of tellin’ her pa, but she didn’t know that, a brief look of panic flashed across her face before she smirked.

            Now that threw Daryl off, he expected for her to beg him not to tell and extort a few favors out of her, like an extra helping at supper or having her sneak him one of the packets of beef jerky he’d seen Michonne bring in from one of her solo runs. Beth took a step forward into his personal space pressing her smaller frame into his.

“Oh, no! Please, don’t tell Daddy what a naughty girl I’ve been!” Those damn blue eyes seemed to darken as she looked up at him, that innocent look belied her true nature. “Please, I’ll do _anything_ , just don’t tell on me Daryl.”

            The way she was pressing up on him, the way she said his name- he bit his lip trying to bite back a groan. It’d been so long since he’d been with a woman let alone thought of one, fighting for your survival on a daily basis in a zombie apocalypse tends to kill the libido, but damn it all to hell if it wasn’t coming back to life right now. He was still holding her by her forearms as he looked down at her, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t given her a second glance when she’d parade around the yard in her short shorts and boots, but being Hershel’s daughter and Maggie’s sister, she was off limits.

“You sure about _anythin’_ Beth?” He needed to hear her consent, not the innocent thing she’d been pretending to be, but as Beth the young woman who was pressing herself so perfectly into his body.

“Oh yes sir!” She flashed him a wide smile and that was all he needed to hear.

            He sat on his cot as he pulled her in front of him. Looking up at her through his greasy hair that managed to fall in front of his eyes he spoke to her in a stern voice, “I don’ ‘preciate ya comin’ in here takin’ what ain’ yers. For that, yer gonna get five swats, an’ another five fer lyin’ about it.”

            Beth looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, she had given him the green light to have his way with her and he was going to spank her like a child? He took the now crumpled cigarettes from her, placing them on his stand before his hands made their way to the button of her shorts. After sliding the zipper down he let them fall away from her slender hips revealing simple white cotton panties. Looking her over he noticed her face was flushed, he motioned for her to step out of the shorts before pulling her down over his lap.

“Now I wanna hear ya count ‘em out, understand?” His voice sounded deeper causing a fire to start in the pit of her stomach.

“Yea,” Beth’s response earned a sharp slap on her right cheek causing her to jump in his lap.

“One.”

“Nah sweetheart, I asked ya a question. Do ya understand?” Beth glared at the cement floor.

“Yes sir.” She bit out.

“Now that’smore like it.”

Another hit landed on her right cheek and she jumped again.

“One.”

Another swat hit its target. Beth grunted at its sting, she noticed the warmth in her belly moved further south causing an uncomfortable throb in her panties.

“Two.”

She couldn’t believe it, she was getting turned on with Daryl spanking her! Another smack.

“Three.”

“Four.”

Daryl had set the perfect pace and his strikes stung, but they were far from being painfully uncomfortable.

“Five.”

Daryl looked down at Beth’s pert ass in his lap. Her cheeks were barely visible through the bottom of her panties but the skin that peeked out was a soft red from his swats. Daryl felt his cock twitch in his pants, this was supposed to be Beth’s punishment but he was tormenting himself. He switched cheeks with his next hit.

“Six.” Beth moaned out her count, she knew her panties were getting wet and her nipples were starting to ache almost begging for stimulation. She didn’t think she’d be able to make it to ten before she’d be forced to take matters into her own hands. Another swat.

“Seven,” Her heart was pounding and she felt light headed, this was a rush she’d never experienced before. Another smack.

“Eight.” She shifted on his lap trying to find relief for the ache she felt between her legs.

“Daryl, please.” Her voice sounded breathless and needy to his ears and his cock twitched in his pants when he heard her.

He smacked her ass harder than any of the other strikes causing her to yelp and squirm deliciously against his hard on that was straining to come out of his jeans.

“Did I give ya permission to talk? Do ya need another lesson?” He roughly massaged her cheeks in his hands as he questioned her. Beth didn’t even try to hide her moans, she needed relief.

“No sir. Please, don’t stop. Punish me, please, I’ve been a bad girl.”

Hearing her talk dirty seemed to snap something in Daryl.

“Nine.”

“Ten.”

            Beth didn’t know if she was relieved it was over or frustrated that Daryl’s hands had left her body. Her mind was reeling and she was shaking from the adrenaline high and need to find her release.

“Ya did good, ‘m thinkin’ I should reward ya. What do ya think?” Daryl was fighting the urge to just bend her over and take her hard and fast.

“Yes sir!” She all but screamed at him.

“I’ll only reward ya if ya promise to be a good girl from now on.” He stood up before him taking in the sight of her. Her eyes were hooded and as she stared at him he felt her desire burn him to his core, her blonde hair that had once been in a messy bun hung wild down her shoulders clinging to the perspiration that had formed on her neck and face. That face, her cheeks were flushed and pink lips parted as she panted for air, he knew what she needed and if she was going to get it he had to hear from her that she was going to quit taking his smokes.

“I swear, I’ll be a good girl Daryl. I swear I won’t take anymore cigarettes from you.”

That was all he needed to hear, he pulled her shirt over her head thanking God she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her panties were next to go, he pulled them off slowly taking in the sight of her blond curls. She gripped his shoulders as she stepped out of the cotton material and bit her lip when he raised them to his nose and inhaled deeply.

“Daryl!” She tried to snatch them out of his grasp but he stopped her.

“Damn girl….ya smell good enough to eat…” He trailed off gazing at her.

“C’mere.” He pulled her naked form onto his lap forcing her to straddle him.

            He grabbed her head by the base of the neck and brought her down to meet his lips. She felt like he could devour her, he kissed her deeply, their tongues dancing together. Both broke apart gasping for air and he took the time to place kisses up and down her jawline and neck. His hand moved from her hip up to cup her milky white breast. She arched into his hand as his fingers found her nipple and gave it a hard pinch causing her to moan deeply. Beth didn’t know what to do, she’d been with Jimmy once before but it had never felt like this, like the world was ending and beginning all at once, the pleasure Daryl was causing her was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.

            When Daryl bit her neck her hips automatically ground down on his lap causing both of them to moan. She ground her hips into his pelvis trying to recreate the amazing feeling she felt, she needed more.

“Daryl, I need you,” He smirked into her neck.

“Whatcha need?” She rocked her hips frustrated at the lack of friction this position was giving her.

“Please, I need….I wanna….Daryl,” She didn’t know how to voice her wants to him and he picked up on it.

“Does my good lil girl need to cum?” He whispered the question in her ear causing her to nod frantically.

         He stood up with her clinging to him and he set her on his cot. She watched has he took of his sleeveless flannel shirt and kicked off his boots before quickly fumbling with his buckle, pulled off his jeans. Apparently he went commando as she was greeted with the sight of his raging manhood, he was impressive to say the least. Without realizing what she was doing she was on her knees in front of him reaching out a timid hand to grasp him. He hissed when she first took him into her small hand causing her to look up at him, the scene was straight out of a porn he thought.

“S’alright.” He grunted.

     Her hand gripped him gently as she looked at his cock with wonder, she’d only ever seen one other and he had been a lot smaller compared to what she had in her hand. Her fingers weren’t able to wrap completely around him and his length had to be near seven inches. As her hand pumped up and down experimentally a couple of times she was amazed at how smooth the skin was. A drop of pre-cum crept out of the head of his penis and she gazed up into Daryl’s eyes as she leaned forward and flicked her tongue to taste him. Daryl threw his head back and groaned.

      Encouraged with what she heard she slowly took him into her mouth, careful to mind her teeth. She wasn’t able to completely take him in but she used her hand to make up the difference. She bobbed back and forth wondering if she was doing it right.

“Suck it Beth!” Daryl’s hand grabbed a fist of blond hair and his hips jerked forward making the tip of his dick hit the back of her throat. Daryl moaned his appreciation as she gave him his first blowjob in over two years. He was close, as he felt her tongue swipe the underside of his aching cock he felt his balls tighten signaling his impending orgasm. This wasn’t how it was going to end thought Daryl as he ripped Beth’s mouth from him with a wet pop.

     He scooped her up and placed her on his cot and he kneeled between her legs opening her up to him. Beth blushed as she looked down at him and saw everything he was doing to her body. He kissed up her left calf, to her thigh before making his way to her quivering center. He brought up his hands and parted her folds to reveal her glistening core.

“Damn baby, you’re so fuckin’ wet fer me.” His tongue swiped along her seam earning him a load moan.

“Didja like tha’? Ya want me ta eat yer pussy don’tcha?” His words caused her walls to contract and he grinned as he saw it. He ran his tongue up her slit before flicking over her swollen clit, Beth’s hips jerked up. Grinning he continued his assault of her sweet pussy as he slowly inserted two fingers. The feeling of Daryl’s facial hair brushing her sensitive folds was unlike anything Beth had experienced, when he added another of his fingers, slowly stretching her, she was in heaven.

“Fuck, yer tight, gonna feel so good when I’m fuckin’ ya.” His only response was a throaty sigh.

     His pace quickened as her moans got louder and he had a harder time holding her hips down with one hand.  He gave her clit a hard suck flicking his tongue in sync with his fingers that where pumping in and out of her clenching pussy. Beth snapped, wave after wave of euphoria washed over her, her limbs felt heavy and it was as if she were paralyzed by pleasure. As she came down from her high she saw Daryl standing before her, smearing her juices on his dick.

“We ain’t done here.”

     He pulled her up and spun her around to face the concrete wall his bed hung from. Daryl made her brace herself on the wall with her hands as he positioned himself behind her, lifting one of her legs to rest on the bed.

“You’ve done this before right?” He was running the head of his cock back and forth over her sensitive lips waiting for her to respond.

     A jerky nod from her was all it took for him to slam into her and he let out a string of curses and paused to adjust to her. She was so fucking tight and her walls contracted around him attempting to draw him deeper. Beth had never felt this full in her life, she needed more, needed friction, she pushed back into him wanting him to move. Daryl grit his teeth as he pulled out and slammed in again, causing Beth to whimper in pleasure.

     He set a brutal pace snapping his hips forward and back sharply, he looked down and saw her ass was still red from the spanking he had given her and gave a feral smile. Grabbing her hips with both hands he gripped her hard pounding away, she was getting too loud thought. Daryl grabbed her by the hair and pulled head back to meet his gaze, never stopping his hard fucking.

“Be a good girl and quiet down or I’mma have to gag you.” She whimpered and nodded- part of Daryl hoped he’d get a chance to shove her panties into her mouth to quiet her down. Beth was fighting the urge to scream out, it was too much, he was hitting something that made her knees want to buckle and her vision start to blur, she had to be quiet but she didn’t know if she could do it.

     He was close again, her tight body bringing him the closest to heaven he was ever going to get in this life or the next. He looked at her tits bouncing, the look of painful pleasure twisted on her face, he was gonna make her see stars before he blew his load. Reaching is arm around her, he slid his hand down towards her curls and his fingers found her clit. Rubbing quick circles he increased his thrusts to an almost frenzied pace.

“Daryl!” Beth needed him to stop, something wasn’t right. The feeling of something building in her stomach was growing and growing and something big what about to happen that she couldn’t control.

“D-Daryl….please….I….somethin’….” she choked on her words, unable to get them out properly.

“Thas’ right, yer gonna….scream….my….name….” His words were accentuated by the forceful thrust of his hips and that’s when they both lost it. The tightening of her walls on his shaft was too much and his balls tightened as he came hard, his hips stilled against her ass as she milked him for all he was worth. Beth was completely oblivious, her eyes rolled back as her body spasmed out of her control, her orgasm tearing through her body completely unlike her first. She felt her pussy clench hard before a gush of wetness escaped her and every nerve ending was on fire in pleasure.

     Daryl was stunned. He had had to pull out when he felt her body spasm and she sprayed his cot and their thighs with her juices. Then she was dead weight in his arms and he had to carefully lower her to the covers, she had a smile on her face, eyes glazed and it was clear to Daryl she was riding high. He looked down at her and couldn’t help but feel pride at seeing her so utterly spent and satisfied. Not knowing what to do while waiting for her to come around, he pulled on his jeans and pulled on a wife beater from the corner, too hot to wear his flannel.

“Daryl?” Beth managed to rasp out as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

“Yea?”

“That was intense.”

“Yea well….I just hope ya learned your lesson.” He muttered with a smirk.

Yea, Beth thought to herself, she learned her lesson alright. Tomorrow she was gonna take his entire pack, she was definitely looking forward to his next punishment.

**So that’s my attempt. I hope I’ve gotten all the errors but if you find any I’d appreciated you letting me know.**


	2. Wanting

**So, I had thought that this was going to be a one-shot but I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if the story continued. So here is another smut filled chapter that I hope you enjoy!**

**Wanting**

            Beth was walking up and down the catwalk with a pleased smile on her face. Anyone who looked at her would think she was just happy to be rocking Judith like she did every day, but they’d be wrong. Daryl was prepping to go on a run with Glenn and Michonne any minute leaving Beth with more than enough time to raid his cell and find any and all cigarettes he had in his possession. She knew her chance of getting caught by anyone else was low and if she was, she could always tell them she was straightening up for the bowman, they’d bless her heart and tell her to leave it be. It was the perfect plan in her opinion and with any luck she’d be getting a repeat performance of yesterday’s mind blowing events.

            After successfully putting Judith down for her nap in her makeshift crib Beth set her plan into motion. Gathering some dirty laundry she passed the empty cells and made her way into Daryl’s. Yesterday’s activities came to the forefront of her mind as the smell of sex permeated his cell causing a need to form between the young girls legs. His cell was barren enough that finding his half empty pack and a few stale cigarettes was easy enough and she was able to leave undetected by anyone with the smokes tucked away in her clothes. Hiding them was her next step.

            Beth knew that Daryl wouldn’t hesitate to look through her things and if he found them then this game she was playing would end unfruitful. Luckily for her she had found a very special bible in one of the empty cells when they first arrived at the prison, it looked plain enough, but once you opened it, its pages were glued together and inside was hollowed out. She promptly stashed her stolen goods and headed towards the library in a hurry, Judith never napped for more than an hour and she needed to be back in her cell before she woke up.

            The group had arrived back at the prison and as everyone exited the car Daryl slammed his door with more than enough force causing Michonne to raise her brow at him.

“Fuck off.” He muttered making his way towards the fence line to blow off steam by taking out some walkers that were attempting to push their way in with no luck.

            Things had started off well enough, they had hit a gas station, managing to siphon off a couple gallons of gas and pick up some unwanted canned goods. At the end of the world beggars couldn’t be choosers and those anchovies and canned spinach might mean the difference between having an empty belly or not. They hadn’t seen any walkers and it was too good to last. Shit hit the fan when they reached a Piggly Wiggly, they took it slow, making noise before entering, clearing it after dispatching the ones that showed their decaying faces, they gave it the all clear to go in and start raiding. The three of them separated immediately going to get their designated items.

            Daryl took notice of the cleared out shelves and swore, he grabbed the last can of baby formula before heading for the jars. Jackpot, there were at least thirty pristine jars that he shoved into his sack, they clanged together as he closed it and headed off to his final destination-customer service. There behind the counter was absolutely nothing, not one carton, pack or even a can of dip could be seen. Disappointed he was gonna turn to meet up with Glenn and Michonne so they could head back to the prison with their loot, but he stopped as something caught his eye. Sitting on a dusty display rack sat a feminine cigarette case that brought to mind a certain blond haired-blue eyed vixen, he’d give it to her with a couple of his Camels inside and maybe she’d reward him with another good time.

He shifted his crossbow behind back and with his loot in one hand and other on the counter, he jumped over to get his prize. Had he been in the right state of mind, instead of thinking about the feeling of Beth’s lips wrapped around his dick, he would have checked to make sure it was clear. He’d be the first to admit it, Daryl Dixon, tracker and hunter extraordinaire fucked up. He landed on the other side and took a step towards the display when a hand grabbed his ankle causing him to lose his footing and fall. The sack he was holding crashed to the ground and his heart stopped at the sound of glass breaking, all those jars meant for Judith wasted.

“Mother fucker!”

            Turning he kicked his leg free to see a decomposing walker attempting to drag its way to him. Stumbling to his feet he swiftly kicked its head in and went to see if anything could be salvaged. He pulled out the puree covered can of formula that was still intact, other than that, he wasn’t able to save anything. Judith depended on him, when he went on his runs he kept an eye out on anything that she could use, and it had been his fault that she wouldn’t have those jars of food. All because he was thinking with his dick.

            When he made it to the car where Glenn and Michonne were waiting he didn’t say anything, merely wrenched the door open and told them to get the fuck in. The ride was quiet, neither passenger wanting to know what set off Daryl, they could feel his rage enough already.

            He didn’t know how long he was out there but as he finished he realized his rage was no less now than when he arrived back. He reached for his shirt pocket for a cigarette before realizing he had smoked his last one, he’d need to head to his cell before relieving whoever was at the tower for watch. He climbed the stairs to let whoever was up there that he would be a little late for shift change, he saw Rick waiting for him.

“Hey man, I’m jus’ gonna go get a smoke from my cell an’ I’ll be back.” He turned to leave.

“No, you won’t.”  Daryl spun around quickly.

“Wha’ the fuck do you mean no I won’?” His blood was boiling.

“Michonne told me somethin’ happened on your run. She don’t know what, but whatever it was, it’s got you riled up and you’re no good out here on watch like that. Go inside, take a shower, get some rest.” Rick gave Daryl a pat on his shoulder as he steered him to the exit.

            Daryl didn’t know what to think, he made his way to his room bypassing everyone who was eating supper and threw his Horton in the corner before grabbing a clean set of clothes and headed to the showers. He hoped that the cold water would cool him off and he thought about what had happened. Daryl couldn’t get distracted like this again, for his stupidity he’d taken food from Judith and that didn’t sit well with him. Out of everyone in the group she was the most innocent, the one who needed the most protection and the day she was first put into his arms he had made himself a vow to be the one to protect her, to provide for her. Today he’d failed.

            He punched the shower wall as he stepped under the cold spray washing away the grime of the day. Slowly his anger dissipated, today was a wake-up call, next time he’d do better. Shutting off the shower he drip dried and put on his clothes before making his way down the dark halls to his cell. It appeared everyone was asleep, no light could be seen coming from the other cells and all was quiet, not even the muffled groans from Maggie and Glenn could be heard. Balling up his dirty things he threw them into his pile, he’d have to take them to Carol or Beth tomorrow for wash.

            Sitting on his cot he reached for his pack of smokes on his night stand but came up empty. Of all days she could have chosen to fuck with him, she had to pick today. Anger rose up through his chest, everything that had happened today centered on Beth and her need to take his fucking cigarettes. He rose swiftly and checked everywhere hoping the bitch had merely hid them, he needed a god damn cigarette after his day, they were nowhere to be found.

            Swiftly and silently he made his way down the stairs to the cell that belonged to the blonde imp. Stepping inside he was grateful to see Judith wasn’t bunking with Beth tonight, it would mean he wouldn’t have to worry about waking her. Stepping to the cot Daryl covered Beth’s mouth and leaned down over here. Her eyes popped open in fright.

“Girl, you best be quiet, s’just me.” She seemed to relax thinking she was safe, oh how wrong she was.

“Now we had this discussion yesterday. You said you was gonna be a good girl, but you ain’t. You’re the fuckin’ devil, ain’tchu?” He whispered harshly as he still held a hand over her mouth.

“Now I’m gonna give ya one chance, and _only_ one, if’n you decide to fuck wit’ me, you’s jus’ gonna make yer punishment worse.” She nodded, her eyes wide as she looked at him. He removed his hand from her mouth and straightened up.

“Give me _my_ smokes.” He spat out each word and Beth was taken back, she hadn’t expected him to get this pissed, she had been playful in messing with him.

“There not here.” She was scared of his response.

“What the _fuck_ do you mean they ain’t _here_!” He jerked her up to him, gripping her arm tightly.

“You best take me to them then!” And with that he shoved her towards the opening of the cell cringing a little when he saw her stumble.

            She padded quietly down the dark halls glancing behind her every few minutes to make sure he was following. He looked her over, she was wearing a simple black tank and short sleeping shorts, her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, even with the anger he felt, he still wanted her. She led him to the library and she went into the stacks running her hand along the spines of the books until she stopped and pulled one out. A fucking bible.

“Girl, I told ya not to fuck wit’ me, get yer ass over ‘ere!” She shuffled over to him slowly and held out the book.

“They’re in there.” She sounded so small.

Opening the cover he breathed out a sigh of relief there was his pack and a few stray cigs. He looked up and noticed her slinking to the door, that just wouldn’t do, apparently she hadn’t learned a damn thing yesterday.

“Girl, you best get yer ass over ‘ere. Now!” He barked and she scuttled over quickly.

“Good. Now I don’ understand what the hell you was thinkin’. Didn’ we go over this yesterday?”

He was met with silence. He spun her around and a swat landed on her behind with a satisfying smack.

“Now I asked ya a question. Didn’ we go over this?”

“Yes, sir.”

“An’ ya told me you was gonna be a good lil girl an’ wasn’t gonna steal my cigarettes anymore, didn’ ya?”

“Yes sir.” She felt so small, being lectured, she didn’t think this was the way things were going after yesterday. And yet, he had spanked her once tonight, maybe he was building up to the main event. She could definitely play along.

“Wha’ do ya think happens to bad girls who lie?”

“Bad girls get spanked!” Beth looked up at him with a smirk on her face. No, Daryl thought, she wanted a spanking and brutal fucking but she was gonna learn not to steal his god damn cigarettes anymore!

“No!” He spanked her harder causing her to give out a startled yelp.

“No, they get punished! An’ I’m the one who decides how they get punished.” Turning her around, he pushed down on her shoulders.

“Get on yer knees.” Beth sunk down slowly, looking up at him waiting for his orders.

“That sweet mouth o’ yers has been tellin’ lies, so yer gonna put it to better use. Ya understand?”

Daryl ran his thumb over her pink lips as Beth’s eyes drifted to the bulge that was forming in the confines of his jeans.

“Yes sir, I understand.”

Unzipping his jeans she pushed them down to his ankles and took his half hard dick into her hands. He promptly swatted them away.

“I said ya was gonna use yer mouth, don’ make this any worse on yerself.”

            She nodded her understanding and took him in her mouth her hands gripping his thighs to keep her balanced on her knees. Bobbing back and forth it didn’t take much for him to go from semi-hard to raging erection. Her only experience had been from last night and so she tried to recall what he had liked. She took him in as deep as she could without gagging and as she pulled back slowly, she hollowed out her cheeks and sucked strong.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” He grabbed her head and yanked her off him. “What the fuck?”

“Was that too much? I’m sorry, I’ve never given a guy…a blowjob…you were…yesterday was…it was the first time I’d ever…” She was stuttering like a blushing virgin and it stirred something in Daryl’s loins.

“Oh yea? Well don’ you worry yer sweet lil mouth none, I’mma teach ya to give the best head.”

Fisting her blond bun in both his hands he guided her head back towards his dick.

“Now take it in yer mouth.” She did.

“Good girl, now when ya suck, ya ain’ suckin’ no grape through a fuckin’ straw. Take it easy.”

As her head moved back and forth over him she applied a gentle suction.

“Good, now take me in as deep as ya can.” He grunted out.

She picked up her pace as he thrust his hips forward to meet her lips, she gagged a couple of times but never stopped.

“Fuck…jus’ like that….Now massage my balls.” Tentatively her hand reached up to fondle his hanging balls. They were soft and it was a strange new feeling to Beth.

    She wasn’t doing half bad he thought. She let out a moan around his aching cock and joined her with a guttural groan. He looked down at her, pink lips stretched around him and she tried to take him deeper into her mouth, she moaned again and that’s when he caught it. She had removed her other hand from his thigh and was fingering herself while she sucked him off. That was not part of the punishment. For the second time that night he ripped himself away from her warm mouth.

“Yer bein’ naughty again Beth. Yer not supposed to be fingerin’ yer pussy. Do you want my dick? Do you wish it where my hard cock poundin’ into you instead of yer lil fingers?” She had yet to pull her hand from her shorts and by the look on her flushed face, she was still working herself over.

“Yes, please Daryl. I want your cock in my pussy.” The need in her voice was clear as day.

“Take of yer shorts an’ panties and lay on the floor.” He ordered her to the ground and she immediately followed his command.

“You agree, you’ve been a bad girl and you must be punished?” Whatever he was going to give her, he wanted her to understand she had brought it upon herself.

“Yes, I’ve been a bad girl and bad girls must be punished.” She had no idea what she was doing to herself, digging herself in deeper by playing around.

Daryl positioned himself between her legs and slowly pushed himself forward, fucking hell she was still tight.

“Why are you bein’ punished Beth?” He ground out through clenched teeth.

“I lied….I stole from you…” Beth’s breathing was erratic, he stretched her in the most delicious ways imaginable.

“Are you gonna be a good girl?” He knew she’d say anything to get him moving but he remained still waiting for her.

“Yes, I’ll be a good girl! Please, move!” She thrust her hips forward craving the sweet friction and moaned when she got it.

“Beth,” he whispered in her ear, “I’m gonna punish ya. You’ve been a bad girl, ya can’t go on lyin’ an’ takin’ from me, ya understand?”

“Daryl, yes! Punish me! Teach me a lesson!” With a sneer on his face Daryl pulled himself away from Beth, only his tip remained in her entrance which throbbed in a poor attempt to pull him back in.

“You brought this on yerself Beth. Be a good girl an’ maybe next time I’ll reward ya.”

    Beth didn’t fully grasp the gravity of his words and he thrust forward sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout her body. He rocked back and forth at a demanding pace his hands bruising her hips as he held her tightly so she wouldn’t move. She was in heaven; everything she remembered about yesterday came back to her, he knew just what it took to make her moan and wail like a cat in heat.

Daryl loved the sight of Beth below him writhing in pleasure. He stared at her and watched her flushed face whip back and forth while garbled words and moans poured out of her mouth. He hooked her leg over his hip and was able to impale himself deeper into her tight wet pussy.

“Fuck! Daryl….so good…” Beth never wanted him to stop, if she had to pick a way to exit this world she’d pick Daryl Dixon fucking her into oblivion.

His name on her lips was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard, he felt horrible at what he was about to do, but he steeled himself. She had brought this on herself and if she wasn’t going to take him seriously about not taking what didn’t belong to her, she was going to get punished. Hopefully she’d apologize and understand where he was coming from.

Daryl picked up his pace and grunted at the slick tightness that was simply Beth.

“Daryl! I’m so close….I’m gonna…” Beth was seconds away from a blinding orgasm but instead of pleasure ripping through her she felt emptiness.

Daryl pulled out just as he was about to cum. Taking his throbbing dick in his hand he gave it a few short tugs an spilled himself on Beth’s stomach and thighs.

    Beth watched in stunned amazement, seeing him cum over her made her pussy clench, it was like he was marking her as his and it turned her on even more. She waited for him to compose himself, hoping he would return the favor and go down on her like he had before. Instead he dragged himself upright, pulled up his pants and walked over to the discarded bible picking it up.

“Thanks for the book.” As he made his way over to the library doors he heard her screech.

“What the fuck Daryl?!” Oh boy was she spitting fire. He turned to face her and looked her dead in the eye.

“I done told ya, bad girls get punished. Maybe if you’d been a good girl I coulda rewarded ya. I hope you learned yer lesson this time.” And with that he walked out the door.

Beth flopped back down to her back, try as she may to get herself off, the mood had been lost and he had left her wanting.

 

**I tried to catch all my mistakes but if you see any that slipped by let me know. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Satisfied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really know if everyone is in character, I’m trying to keep them as true to the series as possible, however it is easy for a writer to manipulate them to serve their needs. Let me know if there’s an issue with the characters getting OOC.
> 
> Warnings: Squirting and ass play. If that’s not your cup of tea, you've been warned.

**  
Satisfied**

            Beth was in a foul mood, last night had _not_ gone how she had wanted it to. There was supposed to be some spanking, rough sex, dirty talk thrown in and it was the perfect formula for a wild time. That’s not what happened though, she’d been left alone in the library to clean herself up and make her way back to her cell alone in the darkness. She had stayed up the rest of the night, tossing and turning, replaying what had happened trying to find where it went wrong. Now that the sex haze cleared her head she looped his words over and over, he had withheld her orgasm as punishment and that did _not_ sit well with her. She didn’t know how to define her new relationship with Daryl and it seemed farfetched for her to simply approach him and tell him what happened last night wasn’t right and he had better get on hands and knees to make it up to her.

            With that image in her mind she had attempted to bring herself the relief she’d been denied. She imagined him buried between her legs as she rode his face, his tongue fucking her wet cunt while he nibbled on her clit. With one hand pinching and tugging her hard nipples and the other flicking her clit rapidly she was forced to give up with a frustrated sigh, it wasn’t enough. No matter how dirty her imagination was, how her slender fingers attempted to play her tight body, nothing could compare to the man who was up in his cell sleeping away without a care in the world and satisfied. She needed a smoke, she needed her frazzled nerves calmed and since she couldn’t relieve herself, she needed the relief that a rush of nicotine would provide her. But she hadn’t kept any in her cell, fearing Daryl would come looking, and she was _not_ going to tempt fate and steal from Daryl. Son-of-a-bitch got his wish- she’d learned her lesson, Beth Greene was _not_ going to take from him ever again.

            She was up before the sun, hearing Judith stirring in the early morning hours, she took her from Carol’s cell letting her rest a few hours more. Being unable to find her fix Beth decided the best thing for her would be to throw herself into work, idle hands being the devils playground and all. She changed Judith’s diaper before taking her into the makeshift kitchen to prepare breakfast for when everyone woke up. It was times like this Beth missed the old world, she never had grand ambitions of leaving Senoia, in fact it was her dream to settle down with Jimmy after graduation, own a small piece of land and raise a family of her own. Getting up this early allowed Beth to pretend, instead of being trapped inside a prison playing a nanny to a baby who’d been cut from her mother, instead,  she was making breakfast for a sleeping husband while bouncing her baby on her hip. Reality shattered fantasy as people began filtering in mumbling their sleepy greetings before grabbing a bowl for some of the grits she’d been making.

            Carol made her way in, thanking Beth for letting her sleep in before taking Judith from her arms so Beth could serve everyone who was already there. Anybody who came late knew that they’d have to fight for the leftovers, it was incentive to rise early, working on a full stomach was better than working with an empty one. Beth handed a bowl to one of the new members from Woodbury and when he took it from her he gave her a wink causing her to blush. Shaking her head she saw Daryl enter, he gave her a smug look before walking over to Carol and Judith.

“Mornin’ ladies. How’s my girl?” Daryl sounded like he was in a good mood.

“Oh I’m fine Pookie. Judith is good too.” Carol gave him a wink and Beth turned from the pair a scowl on her face.

            She had always wondered about the pair, she knew they’d been together since the outbreak and when they had arrived at the family farm, Daryl had moved heaven and earth searching for Carol’s missing daughter. She knew they had a bond but she just thought that was from the experiences they shared, she never imagined they had a relationship that involved flirting and pet names. Her mood darkened just a bit more and she harshly shoved a plate at Daryl before grabbing Judith from an amused Carol and stalked to an empty table to feed Judith a bottle that had been warming.

“I think somebody’s got a crush.” Daryl scowled at Carol before he scarfed down his meal. ‘Nah, she’s just pissed ‘bout last night,” he thought to himself. He smirked thinking about how she looked so furious when he left her in the library.

“Well, I think it’s cute.” She squeezed him on his shoulder as she took Beth’s spot serving the remaining breakfast.

While burping Judith, Beth made a list of things she could do around the prison to stay busy; dishes needed washed, clothes were piling up, the small garden could be weeded, the list went on and on, there was never a shortage of things to work on. Letting Carol know she was taking the infant outside while she started on laundry she headed for her cell. Grabbing Judith’s diaper bag and their combined dirty clothes she made her way out to the washing tub. Setting up a blanket and some toys for Judith to play with on the ground in what little shade there was, Beth got to work.

Laundry wasn’t her favorite chore, but it allowed her to work out some of her frustration on the dirty clothes while running them up and down the washboard. It was a monotonous chore which unfortunately left Beth with an abundant amount of time to let her thoughts drift back to Daryl. He frustrated her so bad, she knew she needed to come up with a way to get him back, she didn’t want to just get back at him, she wanted to one up him. How she was going to do that…she was drawing a blank. She was agitated with everything this morning and wasn’t in the best frame of mind. Glancing down at Judith she smiled when she saw her playing with her makeshift rattle, an empty bottle they had filled with rocks.

Daryl cleared his throat to get her attention he held out his laundry for her. His laundry had always been done by either Carol or Beth, but that was before he had started screwing around with her, he really had no idea if she was going to do it after last night. She took it wordlessly from him and they both stood awkwardly not really knowing what to say.

“Look, I hope last night don’t change anythin’.” He bit his thumb nervously, he didn’t know why he was so worried, it was just laundry, it didn’t mean anything whether or not she was the one scrubbing the dirt out of his clothes.

“Would a good girl wash your clothes?” She met his eye waiting for his answer.

“Ain’t that whatchu do? Laundry, cookin’ an’ shit? Ain’t nothin’ special ‘bout doin’ yer job.”

Anger flashed in her eyes.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” She grit out through her clenched teeth. “You know what _Daryl Dixon_ ,” she croaked, “I don’t need you! You weren’t even that good anyway!” She stepped closer getting in his face, he could see a slight tremble run through her frame.

“You couldn’t even keep up with me _old man_.” He smirked, she was a shitty liar, he knew if he told her to bend over and present herself for him she’d do it in a heartbeat, not caring who watched.

She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

“Get the hell out of here, I’ll put your clothes in your cell when they’re done.” She turned from him throwing his things to the ground next to the tub.

“Just make sure ya don’ take anythin’ when you drop ‘em off.” He knew he was pushing her buttons but the way her face was flushed, eyes flashing, she was beautiful.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have _anything_ I want.”

“Lyin’ again? Didn’t you learn yer lesson or do ya need a reminder wha’ happens to bad girls.”

Beth’s jaw dropped. The blood in her veins was on fire, her ears were ringing, and it humiliated her to admit that as livid she was, she was beyond turned on.

“Damn girl, you best shut that mouth before I give ya somethin’ to put in there.”

            Judith’s cry startled them both from their conversation, Daryl was the one to scoop her up and he held her close, soothing away whatever upset her. She cooed at him, smiling as she pulled his hair roughly. Beth smiled at the pair watching their interaction; it was amazing to see this self-proclaimed redneck hardass turn into a teddy bear for the little girl. She wondered; he was old enough, did he lose a child in this mess, or even before then. It was possible, she thought, she didn’t really know anything about him, their interactions had always been short and sparse.

“I’ll be workin’ on the cars if ya need me.” He sat Judith down placing a kiss on her head.

“Yea well I won’t!” She snapped.

He backed away with his hands in the air and left. Turning back around she set to her task again.

            Beth accomplished more in a day than she had in the previous week, anything and everything that was asked of her was completed. Everyone picked up that something was bothering their resident blond but no one approached after watching a screaming match between Maggie and the little firecracker. Maggie had approached her with the intention of calming her down only to walk away in a huff, grabbing Glenn as she passed, no doubt to relieve some tension. ‘Lucky bitch,’ thought Beth.

            The cycle repeated itself for almost a week, she’d get up at sunrise, work all day with anything that needed to be done, and took Judith every night claiming she believed Rick and Carol needed their rest. Tensions were running high with Beth and anyone who interacted with her, she had people very worried. They knew something was going on with the petite woman and any attempt to broach the subject was shut down, if they pushed the issue she’d lash out. The only person who hadn’t approached her was the one person who both knew what was bothering her and knew how to fix it.

            It was the end of day six that relief would come to everyone and it would be thanks to Michonne. She had gone on a solo run and come back with a sack full of goods, comics for Carl, a large pack of condoms was discretely passed off to Glenn, a stuffed animal for Judith, and the rest was mix-mox bullshit for everyone to paw through. After everyone had thanked her, she called Beth over to her as she pulled her pack over her shoulder and told her to leave Judith and take a walk with her. Those who had stayed looked at her as if she’d grown a second head, Michonne had only a select few who she conversed with and Beth was _not_ one of those people. They walked out of the prison and leisurely strolled the perimeter, Michonne stopping to put her katana through a skull at her discretion.

“So…whatcha wanna talk about?” To say she was nervous was an understatement, the powerful woman intimidated her.

“I know what you’re going through Beth.” She stopped to face the younger woman. “Now I don’t know the details…but I can see that you’re frustrated…” Beth breathed a sigh of relief, maybe Michonne didn’t really know about her consuming need to throw Daryl down and ride him like a stallion.

“What I don’t understand is why you didn’t just…take matters into your own _hands_ …you know what I’m getting at?” Beth flushed, so maybe the woman _did_ know about her problem. How was she supposed to talk about this to somebody she barely knew when she couldn’t even talk to her own flesh and blood about it? Taking a deep breath Beth decided to finally breach the topic she’d been dreading.

“Can I have your word that what we talk about, you won’t tell anyone. Please?” Michonne just looked at her, who the hell was she gonna tell?

“Okay…well…I’ve tried…multiple times! But…it just…doesn’t happen…” Beth plucked a piece of overgrown brush and systematically broke it piece by piece as they resumed their walk.

“Well…have you thought about getting somebody to…I dunno…help?”

“I had Dar-…someone…but he just kinda stopped.” Michonne looked at her with a smirk.

“Daryl, huh?” Shaking her head she continued, “Have you told him what you want?”

Beth shook her head, she had thought about approaching him, but then she thought about that night and she said ‘fuck it’, she wasn’t going to give in and tell him she needed him. She decided to open up to the older woman who was offering her an ear.

“It started when I took his cigarettes…He caught me and…things happened…it was good… _really_ good,” Beth muttered the last part more to herself. “Then, I took his cigarettes again…and…he had told me not to, but I wanted to have some fun with him again…anyway…we were…having sex….and I was so close!...But before I could…he pulled out and finished and left! Can you believe it! The bastard just left me hanging and told me I was a bad girl and I needed to learn not to take things that didn’t belong to me!” She all but shouted the last part getting upset all over again.

“Well you really shouldn’t steal. I figured you would have learned that in pre-school Beth.” Michonne playfully nudged the blondes shoulder, teasing her.

“I ain’t gonna say that what he did was right or wrong, I’m not here to judge. But if you _want_ something to happen with him again, _you_ are going to need to talk to _him_ about it.” Michonne grabbed Beth’s arm to stop her in her tracks, digging through her bag she pulled out a pack of AAA batteries handing them to the confused woman.

“Sometimes, a girl needs a little more than just her hands.” Michonne winked at Beth before handing her a bright pink rectangular box. Seeing the picture on the box she quickly drew it to her body blushing madly.

“Take a _long_ shower, enjoy some alone time and I think everything will be back to normal.” The tall woman laughed as she led Beth back up to the prison.

Beth lay awake in her cell waiting for everyone to go to sleep. She had talked with Rick and had asked him to take Judith for the night, he thankfully agreed and she placed the crib in his cell. Half an hour after the last light had gone out she made her move. Grabbing a fresh pair of panties and the items given to her, she made her way to the showers completely oblivious to the figure watching her from the shadows.

            Never in her life had Beth owned a vibrator, much less seen one, and the thought of having one thrilled her. She had heard her friend boasting once about owning a little vibrating bullet and the fun she had with it, now she would get to experience what the buzz was all about. She turned the packaging over in her hand, in bold lettering it read ‘My First Jack Rabbit’ in smaller letters it gave its size and told her it ‘Stimulates the G-Spot!’ it also let her know she needed four batteries to operate it. She gave a laugh after taking it out of the box, it was a pink penis with a little bunny sticking out from the side, the controls at the bottom. The bunnies ears were apparently supposed to stimulate her clit while she fucked herself silly with the penis portion. Sliding the batteries into the toy she played with the settings getting a feel for it.

            Shutting it off she decided to take a quick shower before she got down to business, undressing she stepped under the tepid spray and lathered herself up. She thought of Daryl and immediately her juices began flowing. Running her hands over her breasts she cupped both, tweaking her nipples she felt the familiar tug of arousal in her groin and let out a breathy sigh. She let her right hand run down the plane of her stomach and lightly brushed over her blond curls. She imagined it was Daryl’s hand that parted her lips and found the pearl the hid beneath.

            Beth moaned as she grazed her clit, teasing herself she moved past the swollen nub to her leaking core. While she slowly inserted two fingers, the hand she had left playing with her nipples moved up her neck to her hair and she pulled it the same way Daryl had causing another groan to pass her lips. She picked up her pace using her thumb to rub her clit and she began to thrust her hips into her hand in need. When her knees trembled she rinsed the remaining suds and shut off the shower ready to step things up.

            Daryl sat up in the watch tower and exhaled the smoke from his lungs, it was another quiet night. He knew he needed to smooth things over with Beth and that the more time that passed was just going to make it worse. His problem was his lack of experience with this sort of thing, he’d never screwed the same woman more than once and if he did it was because she allowed him to take her home from the bar again. Beth had been off limits for a reason, aside from the fact that her remaining family would kill him, she wasn’t the kind of girl a guy hit-and-quit, she was the girl a guy started a family with, and that was _not_ him. Michonne interrupted his thoughts when she came into the tower nodding her greeting.

“Whatcha doin’ up here?” He knew he was scheduled until midnight and it was Carol who would take over for him.

“Ran into Beth, asked if I’d take your watch for you...said you needed to talk.” Daryl nodded, he knew it was only a matter of time before one of them made the move, he was thankful it didn’t have to be him.

“She’s waitin’ on you in the showers…said you needed some privacy.” Michonne watched him head for the door but stopped him.

“If you two are doin’ what I _know_ you are…you need to talk an’ set everything on the table. She’s young, not as experienced as you are. Let her know what you want from her and let her decide if she wants to accept it or not.” With that she let him go as she looked out across the prison yard, her eyes sharp.

            Beth was already wet when she moved herself to the bench and spread her towel out on it before laying herself down, legs opened and hanging down both sides. Taking the pink toy in her hand she moved it down to her pussy and ran its head back and forth, coating it with her juices. Inhaling deeply she pushed it in and relished at the filling she got from being filled again. Fumbling with the controls she managed to turn on the rabbits head and cried out loudly as it quickly tickled her clit with the ‘ears’ of the bunny. She pulled the vibrator out before pushing it back in enjoying the combined feeling of her clit being stimulated and walls contracting around the faux penis. It wasn’t exactly like the real thing but she was going to take it!

            She set a steady pace of pushing and pulling her Jack Rabbit from her sopping pussy when she clicked on the rotating head her eyes slammed shut and she jerked. She hit the same place Daryl had their first time together and she increased her pace wanting to reach that earth shattering peak again. She cried out with every thrust and increased the vibrations to their medium setting. Beth understood what all the hype was about now, she was finally finding what she’d been denied for so long and she’d be damned if she didn’t get her satisfaction tonight!

            Daryl had reached the showers when he heard a moan. Drawing his knife he entered the showers and tried to locate Beth, hoping it wasn’t a walker, or worse, Beth as a walker. He heard a cry and raced further into the showers only to stop and let his knife slip from his grasp. The noise didn’t affect Beth-there she was, laid out in her pale naked glory fucking herself with a pink vibrator. All his blood ran straight to his cock and he was so hard he knew he could cut glass.

            He watched as Beth’s thighs began to tremble and her toes curled, he could she was close to cumming and as much as he wanted to see the expression of euphoria on her face, he did _not_ want it to be because of anything other than him! Where did she get off, getting off without him? He sure as hell wasn’t jerking off no matter how many times he thought of her beneath him. Stalking forward he ripped her from her daze as he pulled the phallus from her and threw it off to the side.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” She couldn’t do this, she awkwardly scrambled to her feet and have him a shove.

“You think you get to decide whether or not I get off or not? Well guess what, I told you once I didn’t need you and guess what, I don’t! I am _not_ some little girl you can fuck and leave hanging, I’ve gone six _fucking_ long days without any satisfaction and tonight, I’m getting it! So you can take your red neck ass out of here so I can finish what you couldn’t!” Beth didn’t care she was standing stark naked yelling at the scruffy man, all she cared about was getting him to leave so she could continue where she left off.

“Woman,” that caught her attention, she’d only ever been called girl by him, “you ain’ gonna use no fuckin dildo or whatever to get your kicks. You ever have an itch ya need scratched you come to me, ya understand?”

Daryl approached Beth and slammed his lips to hers prying her lips open with his tongue and exploring every inch of her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she held tight to him deepening the kiss as her tongue met his. This is what she truly wanted, to be enveloped in Daryl’s arms as he claimed her body. Playing with the hair at the nape of his neck she pulled back from his kiss before she took control, a light kiss followed by her nipping at his bottom lip earning her a growl.

“Strip.” The sound of her voice left no room for argument and he quickly followed her order needing no further incentive. As soon as he stripped his last article of clothing away from his body she pushed him to the bench, forcing him to lie down as she had been.

“I’m going to ride you so hard Daryl Dixon.”

Those words caused his cock to visibly twitch and he waited for her, enjoying her taking charge. She swiftly threw a leg over his hips and she quickly impaled herself on him crying out in rapture as he let out a huff of air not expecting her to be so needy. He didn’t have time to appreciate her tightness as she began moving, bouncing herself onto him she braced herself with both hands on his stomach.

Daryl was sure he had died, something had happened on the last run and he died and was in heaven cause he had a blond haired blue eyed angel vigorously impaling her tight channel on his cock. She was a sight, her perky tits bouncing with her hard nipples sticking out begging to be touched, her head thrown back, hair cascading down her back, and she was his. He was going to make sure she knew what absolute pleasure was, and  make sure she knew no other man could ever come close to pleasing her the way he could.

“Fuck me…use my cock to cum…” He felt her tighten at his words and knew she enjoyed hearing him talk dirty to her.

“C’mon Beth…you were so good at fuckin’ yerself with that piece o’ shit…you’ve got the real deal…cum on my cock…get yer cream all over it…” He felt her pace increase and she moaned his name. Reaching up he took a breast in his hand pulling the nipple causing another cry to spill from her lips. Reaching down between their joined bodies he massaged her slick clit.

“Ngh…Daryl….I’m gonna….cum…” He felt her walls tighten even more. Grabbing her by her hips Daryl thrust up to meet her, their pelvises grinding together giving her the friction she needed to tumble over the edge. He grit his teeth, as much as he wanted to cum, he wanted to give her more so he concentrated on keeping his orgasm at bay. Beth slumped forward onto Daryl and he ran his hand through her hair, she let out a contented sigh kissing his chest lightly before biting down hard causing him to yell out in pain.

“I should leave you here as unsatisfied as you left me…” Daryl prayed she didn’t do that, while he knew he’d be able to jack himself off, it felt so much better when Beth got him off.

“You’re going to make it up to me! Remember in your cell?” Daryl nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

“I want you to do that again.”

She could see the confusion on his face and tried to explain.

“I want to feel like you made me feel before…when I…got really wet…it felt so good…”

Daryl’s grin put the Cheshire cat to shame. “You wanna squirt again?”

Beth didn’t know what the hell squirting was, but if that’s what Daryl called it, hell yes! She nodded her head and let Daryl reposition himself so that she was on her hands and knees on the cold tile floor with himself on one knee his other had his foot on the floor bracing himself behind her.

“Don’ be scared to let go…I wanna hear ya scream my name…”

With that being said he thrust into her immediately hitting her g-spot causing her to yell out in pleasure. He set the most brutal pace, sweat ran down his brow and he had to wipe it away. The way she was moaning and groaning had him glad they were away from the cell block, it was a symphony that only he was allowed to hear and he was conducting it with every powerful thrust. Pressing down on her upper back, Daryl had her lower herself to change the angle, his reward was a long keening cry.

Reaching under her, he massaged her clit then pulled away, his fingers glistening with her juice. Beth felt like a faucet had been turned on between her legs and it was the most erotic feeling she’d ever experienced.

“Do you trust me?” He managed to puff out with his thrusts.

“Yes…” She hissed back.

He gave her ass a slap enjoying watching it jiggle.

“Rub yer clit for me.” He demanded of her and she complied without hesitation.

“Now open yer mouth,” as she did he stuck his fingers into her mouth, “that’s it girl, get them nice an’ wet.”

Spreading her ass cheeks with his hands he spread her saliva from his fingers around her puckering hole. Slowly he attempted to breech her orifice.

“Don’t clench, relax.”

He knew he was asking a lot of her, to relax while he was pounding into her cunt, but she surprised him and complied. His thumb entered her asshole and she cried out clenching harshly on his dick and finger.

“Daryl….harder…faster…more….” She was feeling so much. Between playing with her own swollen nub and Daryl in two of her holes, her body was being consumed by the flames of pleasure. Complying with her demand he gave it to her. The sound of skin slapping skin and her wailing moans echoed off the shower walls.

Beth knew this was it, she pinched her clit as Daryl thrust into her and she let herself go yelling his name til her throat was raw. Pulling his thumb from her ass, he gripped her hips as she squirt her essence all over his cock and he continued to pound into her until he felt the familiar feeling of his sack tightening and he emptied himself into her quivering vagina. He fell back onto his butt, pulling Beth into his lap as she continued to jerk and spasm from her intense orgasm.

He knew they still had to discuss what exactly was going on between them, but for now, all that mattered was that they were both satisfied.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter so far and I hope you like it. Let me know if you catch any errors and if you enjoyed(or didn't enjoy) what you've read, please leave a review. My muse has luckily struck and I will be continuing this for at least another two chapters. I've put another story that’s been dancing around on the back burner and I wanna get to that one too, but I don’t wanna this this unfinished. Again, thank you for reading!


	4. Hurt

**I want to thank everyone for reading this, I have plotted out an additional four chapters after this one before we reach the end. As I was plotting a story began emerging that was more than just smut, though I will try to fill every chapter with at least one kink filled scene. Thank you all for reading, enjoy!**

**Hurt**

            _Beth knew this was it, she pinched her clit as Daryl thrust into her and she let herself go yelling his name til her throat was raw. Pulling his thumb from her ass, he gripped her hips as she squirt her essence all over his cock and he continued to pound into her until he felt the familiar feeling of his sack tightening and he emptied himself into her quivering vagina. He fell back onto his butt, pulling Beth into his lap as she continued to jerk and spasm from her intense orgasm._

_He knew they still had to discuss what exactly was going on between them, but for now, all that mattered was that they were both satisfied._

            Daryl held onto Beth, gently running his hands up and down her sides as she rode out her pleasure. He brushed her damp hair away from her neck and peppered the exposed skin with kisses as she leaned her body into him. Beth tilted her head back to rest it against the juncture of his shoulder and neck, her eyes closed she enjoyed the sensation of his prickly facial hair running over her neck and shoulder. With a shuddered sigh she opened her bright blue eyes and looked up at him. Giving her a smirk he continued his exploration of her body with his wandering hands rising and dipping along the curves of her body.

“Daryl…”Beth murmured gently.

Both his hands found her breasts, nipples hard in his palm, and groped them, kneading them before giving his attention to her rigid nipples. Rolling them between his thumb and middle finger he alternated between pulling, rolling and flicking them. The blond began to squirm in his lap releasing her warm breathy moans into his ear. Paying sufficient attention to her breasts, his hands travelled lower to her sensitive nether lips.

Beth cried out harshly and jerked her hips forward unable to control them as her body searched for more contact. Daryl saw how sensitive she still was and grinned, he had barely grazed over the lips and he received such a knee jerk reaction, he tested again with a gentle brush over her curls and slit.

“Ah!” She thrust her hips up to be met with air and disappointment.

            Reaching behind him he grabbed her towel before balling it up and laid her down, using the towel as a pillow. The cold tile caused a shiver to run through Beth as her skin prickled with goose bumps. She watched Daryl through hooded eyes and he kissed his way down her body and wrapped her legs over his shoulders. She could see his flaccid penis sway and was disappointed that round two wouldn’t involve him taking her again.

            Gently he parted her to expose her glistening core and blew lightly earning him another cry of tired pleasure. He nuzzled his nose against her opening and inhaled, he really did enjoy her musky scent, almost as much as he enjoyed her bittersweet flavor. He ran his tongue fully over her, working his way from the bottom of her opening to the pearl on top he made sure to coat his tongue completely to savor her essence. Another shudder was his response and she gently took his hair into her hand and massaged his scalp almost tenderly causing him to look up at her. Watching her watching him was a turn on and he felt blood slowly trickle back down south.

            Returning his attention to her pussy he gently placed his lips over her engorged clit and gave a small suck. Her hips bucked up to his face. Holding her down with his forearm firmly pressed against her tummy he set back to work. He ran his tongue up and down her lips before penetrating her with his tongue, moving it back and forth inside he knew it wasn’t deep but she still got pleasure from the new feeling. He resumed his attention to her clit, again he brought his lips around the nub, but instead of sucking he allowed his bottom teeth to scrape softly over it.

            Beth was whimpering, the grip she had on his hair must have been painful because he lifted his head and shot her a glare.

“This position is killing my neck, we’re gonna switch places.”

 He helped her to her knees and took her towel, shoving it behind his head he got comfortable before taking her hand and told her to straddle his face. Her fantasy was about to be made flesh and blood, to be honest it slightly intimidated the young woman. She was scared she might put too much pressure on his face or what if he couldn’t breathe when he was down there and he passed out, or what if…maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. A smack on her ass brought her out of her embarrassing thoughts.

“Quit thinkin’ and give me yer pussy. I’m hungry.” He shot her a wink.

Daryl went to town, using his fingers to penetrate her and bring forth more of her juices for his waiting lips and tongue, he’d never tire of her taste he thought to himself. Beth was close already, every touch, every caress brought her that much closer to the edge and she was drowning in her pleasure. Feeling Daryl’s stubble grazing her opening was heaven and hell all in one, it was a burn that she enjoyed and with a nip to her clit the sensations had her falling over the edge into oblivion. Daryl didn’t stop lapping at her until the last waves of pleasure subsided and she threw herself off him.

Watching him, she saw he was half hard and part of her hoped that he’d call it a night, he had tired her out. Unfortunately for Beth, he saw her staring at his length and took it into his hands and began stroking himself. Pink lips parted in wonder as Beth felt her pussy clench at the sight of Daryl working himself over. One of his hands was running up and down his length while the other massaged his balls, tugging and gently fondling them. With him laid out before her, she was finally able to fully appreciate him. His face was relaxed unlike how she mostly saw him with a frown on his face, it subtracted years from him and Beth admitted she enjoyed seeing him like this. Her eyes trailed over his body, she let out a giggle, he had a farmers tan! His face and arms considerable darker than his pale body, Beth knew that it came from his hard work though.

“Gee, just wha’ every guy wants ta hear when he’s layin’ naked in fron’ of a woman.” He had stopped his hands and was glaring at her.

“I wasn’t laughin’ at your penis, so don’t worry. I just finally noticed, you have a tan is all.” He looked at her incredulously.

“Really, I swear!” She tried to smooth his ruffled feathers.

“Yea well, I think you owe me for pain an’ sufferin’.” He pulled over his jeans and grabbed his bandana from his pocket before tossing them away. Standing he walked to her and tied the material over her eyes, checking to make sure she couldn’t see anything. Satisfied with his work Beth heard him walk away from her before returning and her interest was piqued.

“Open yer mouth fer me.” She parted her lips for him and was met with his cock being pushed into her mouth.

“God…I love the way ya feel…” he moaned out as he bobbed her head back and forth with his hand controlling her.

“You tol’ me ya trusted me….’s tha’ still true?” Beth hummed around his cock in affirmation.

“Good girl….” He pulled himself from her lips.

“Lay back fer me.” His words were gentle and Beth could only comply. Daryl gripped himself in his hand as he ran head over her, he broached her shallowly a couple of times coating himself in her wetness. Pulling back Beth let her disappointment known with a whine. He was back again, Beth could feel his head penetrate her again before he slammed forward. It didn’t feel right to Beth, he wasn’t deep enough, or wide enough for that matter. A startled yelp came from her when she felt vibrations on her clit. He was using her vibrator on her!

“Lift yer hips.” She complied and was rewarded as he thrust the vibrator into her again.

Daryl positioned his wet cock with Beth’s virgin ass. He knew this was going to be completely foreign to her, but if she let herself relax, he knew she’d enjoy herself. Circling her tight hole he felt Beth try to relax like he had told her earlier.

“Good girl…let me take care o’ ya.”

He slowly pushed himself forward, fuck she was beyond tight. Hearing her whimper he stilled. Turning up the vibrator’s settings Beth buck forward causing Daryl to swear as he was situated deeper into her. Daryl still had a few more inches to go before he’d be fully in her, but he was going to take his time, he didn’t want to scare her off this.

Thrusting the vibrator in and out his thumb flicked on the rotation setting and he was rewarded with Beth thrusting forward again setting his cock deeper into her ass again. He watched as her sweetness dripped down from her pussy to her ass and his cock, pulling out a little he pushed forward, she was like a glove.

“Daryl! I feel…so…full….please…fuck me….” Beth had tears running down her face. She had never experienced anything like this before and the double penetration was spinning her world. Daryl pulled out again and slammed forward.

“Like that?” He questioned, hoping he wouldn’t have to stop.

“More! I need…fuck me…my pussy…and ass….please…Daryl…”She needed him to consume her and he was more than happy to oblige.

Hips thrusting into her tight ass he knew he wouldn’t last but a few more thrusts so he set the vibrator to max setting and thrust it in time with himself. Beth contracted around Daryl almost painfully. Her sweet juices gushed from her like a fountain and her ass muscles tight already, gripped him like a vice and he lost himself in the feeling. Pulling out slowly he saw his cum dribble out and swore.

“Hey Beth, we need ta shower an’ get ta bed.” He didn’t know how long they’d been there, but he didn’t want to drag ass in the morning. He watched as she got up and limped over to the shower, regret eating at him. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her too bad with their activities.

Stepping behind her he lathered up a washcloth and ran it over her body, taking care of her sensitive lower body. Beth never imagined she’d ever see this side of Daryl, it was reserved only for Judith, maybe she was working her way into his life more than she could have imagined.

“We need to talk Beth.” He continued working the lather over her body.

“I know.”

“I don’ know what this is…all I know is I like it, an’ I don’ wan’ to stop.”

“I don’t want to stop either…So, what are we?” Beth looked at him wondering what he’d say.

“What do ya wan’ us to be?” Beth frowned, she wanted them to be together, like Glenn and Maggie, but she knew him better than that, that wasn’t Daryl.

“I dunno…I want us to be…more than we are now…I want to get to know you. Spend more time with you.” Daryl didn’t say anything only nodded as he finished washing her. Beth rinsed off before taking the washcloth from him. She scrubbed his chest and shoulders before moving lower, taking care that he was just as sensitive as she was below the waste.

“Turn around.” She told him causing him to stiffen.

“Nah, gimme the washcloth.” He made a grab to take it from her.

“C’mon, there’s no way you can reach your whole back, let me get it for you.” Beth tried to step behind him but he stopped her, grabbing her arm he swung her in front of him. The soapy wet tile caused her to slip with the momentum and she went down hard.

Daryl clenched his jaw, he hadn’t meant for her to fall and get hurt, the way she was looking up at him with hurt in her eyes caused his chest to tighten and he didn’t understand why.

“Beth, I didn’ mean…” But she stopped him.

“I know…Daryl, why won’t you let me wash your back?”

“Damnit Beth! Why you gotta stick your nose where it don’ belong?” His voice was harsh. He felt like she was pushing him into a corner, asking questions he didn’t want her to know the answers to.

“I was just askin’, I want to get to know you. If we’re gonna make this work…”

“Make wha’ work?” He spat out harshly. “We ain’ no couple! Why are ya puttin’ shit in my mouth tha’ I didn’ say? You’re jus’ some good pussy s’all! You’re just lookin’ for shit that ain’t there!” He knew his words hurt, but that didn’t stop him. If there was one thing that Daryl Dixon was good at, it was self-sabotage.

“Better get yer ass to bed ‘fore anyone sees that yer missin’.” With that he turned away from the cold spray and grabbed his clothes, he could hear her sobs as he walked away. He felt like an ass, but it was better for them both if they didn’t get into anything, they were two different people and had nothing in common except some chemistry in bed.

            The next morning Beth was the last out of her cell, dragging herself to the kitchen she saw that the only ones there were Carol and Michonne. Carol was busy washing dishes and it looked like Michonne was finishing up a bowl of oatmeal. She sat herself next to the dark woman.

“How did everythin’ go?” She had a smirk on her face until Beth looked at her with tears in her eyes.

“I think it’s over for good.” It hurt for her to talk so she stopped.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Michonne had always seen Daryl as a protector and couldn’t imagine him hurting anyone, but then again, she’d been wrong before. Beth could only shake her head. She had been stupid, thinking a relationship could form from sex, but that hadn’t stopped her from hoping.

“You gonna be ok?”

“Yea…” it was a raspy reply but Michonne took it, nodding her head as she stood up and left.

Carol dried her hands on a spare rag and called out to the blond.

“Can you help with the laundry?” She didn’t reply, only stood and followed the silver haired woman outside.

It was a hot day, the sun was burning on her shoulders and she knew she was going to burn. Running one of Ricks shirts over the washboard Beth missed the sound of boots on the concrete until it was too late to leave.

“Hey Carol, can you do my laundry?” Daryl held out his bag, knowing she wouldn’t say no.

“When have I ever said no to you Pookie?” Carol laughed out not sensing the uncomfortable mood between the other two. She started talking with Daryl and Beth tried to tune them out. Looking up she noticed the guy from the Woodbury group watching her, accidently she made eye contact and quickly looked down going back to washing the shirt in the sudsy water. Carol laughed at something that had been said and Beth bit her lip agitated that Daryl didn’t have the decency to leave and would openly flirt in front of her.

“Hey, you’re Beth right?” The new voice spooked her. Looking up she saw a boy around her age, he had brown hair and eyes and reminded her a bit of Jimmy. His face was soft, he wasn’t hardened to the world around them yet and that bothered Beth a little.

“Yea. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.” He held out his hand for her to shake, she dried her hands as best she could on her jeans and took it.

“I’m Zach.” Instead of shaking her hand, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. A blush formed on her cheeks, she hadn’t been treated like this since Jimmy and she felt like she was back in high school.

“After you’re done, do you wanna, I dunno, go down to the fence and kill some walkers?” Daryl snorted causing Beth to look up at him. She glared at him before turning back to Zach.

“It’s a date.” He gave her a huge smile and nodded his head before walking away from them.

Beth didn’t really want to go anywhere with Zach and she felt bad for leading him on, but part of her wanted Daryl to suffer with the fact that she was already over him, even if it wasn’t the case. Daryl turned around and stalked off leaving an amused Carol while Beth cursed at having to explain to Rick why he had a hole in his shirt. Both Daryl and Beth would never admit it, but they were jealous over people that neither had any interest in.

Beth had spent the day with Zach attached to her hip and she was one lame joke away from putting a knife in his head. She had gone back to her cell hoping to get away from him, but he had followed her like a lost puppy. He was sweet enough but not what Beth wanted, he wasn’t Daryl. Daryl was upstairs getting ready to head over to the old warden’s office for a council meeting and Beth knew he was running late. Hearing his footsteps descending the stairs she did something completely impulsive and stupid. Grabbing Zach by the shoulders she kissed him hard and deep moving his hand to her breast before tangling her hands in his hair.

She heard the steps stop in front of her cell and she opened her eyes to see Daryl’s piercing blue eyes filled with an unknown emotion. He shook his head and stalked off leaving Beth to push Zach away. Daryl was livid as he walked to the meeting; he wanted to kill somebody, preferably Zach. He’d seen his hand on her breast and the way Beth was kissing him…it wasn’t right, it caused that same hurt that he had felt last night in the showers to form in his chest again. He hoped there was a run scheduled soon, he needed to work out his anger and walkers were plenty outside the gates.

Beth sat on her cot long after Zach had left confused by her behavior. She had seen Daryl walk away and she had wanted to make him hurt, instead Beth was left feeling like she’d driven a knife into her own heart and it hurt.

 

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know if you catch any mistakes. Also, I love the feedback so please continue to let me know what you think. Everybody who’s reviewed, I thank you, it is appreciated.**


	5. His

**So here’s the next installment, I want to warn readers that my updates are no longer to be daily like they’ve been. I have my finals coming up and _really_ need to hit the books. I’ve been procrastinating already by writing this but it was just screaming to be written. I hope to post every other day but it might be a bit longer than that between posts. I thank you all in advance for being understanding.**

**Warning: This chapter does have a jealous Daryl so expect plenty of bad language and some spanking.**

**His**

            Beth had been keeping her distance from Daryl, going out of her way to avoid being in the same room as him and people were starting to take notice. Maggie had taken her younger sister aside and asked point blank if Daryl had done anything to make her uncomfortable, the blond had merely shaken her head and tried to play it off. The brunette wasn't completely convinced but seeing how it troubled Beth to talk about, had dropping it for her sake. As much as she tried to stay away it was inevitable that they ran into each other, while Beth withdrew into herself around him, Daryl lashed out with biting remarks to get the hell out of his way.

            It was a cool day, the sky was overcast and air smelled of rain, a storm was coming. She and Carol were sitting in the grass watching Rick and Carl tending to the garden, Judith was giddy watching her family from a blanket next to them.

“It’s good to see Rick with her.” Carol motioned towards them. “I thought for sure he was going to stay gone when he checked out.”

Beth knew exactly what the older woman was referring to, she had worried the same thing. After Judith was born Beth had stepped up to the plate to play surrogate mom while Rick jumped off the deep end in grief. Everyone in the prison had a hand in taking care of Judith, but it had been Beth and Carol who pulled the all nighters, rocking the baby to sleep, playing with her, laughing when her personality starting shining through, and crying along with Judith.

She remembered a particularly stressful night, it had been about month after Judy had been born, they had finished the last can of Similac the night before and had nothing of sustenance to offer the girl. Her wails echoed through the prison and nothing could comfort her, no song could sooth, and no amount of rocking lull her into a fitful sleep. Rick had stormed out to take watch, not caring to hear the cries coming from a child he hardly claimed as his own- it was Daryl who’d entered her cell as she tried everything in her power to calm her down.

“Wha’s wrong wit’ her?” He reached to take the baby from her arms.

“She hasn’t eaten since yesterday. I’ve tried offering some water in her bottle, she just shoves it away. She needs milk, but we don’t have any to offer.” Beth ran her hand through her hair exasperated.

“Why didn’ you say anythin’?” His voice had a bite to it, rocking and shushing the little girl who continued to squirm and cry.

“I told Rick, he said something about a run but that hasn’t happened yet.” Nodding he passed the girl off and left her cell without another word.

            It was then that Beth knew Daryl had formed a bond with Judith that she couldn’t explain. He returned to her cell four hours later looking tired and dirty, carrying a diaper bag with him. Passing it off to her he told her it wasn’t much, but compared to nothing, it was everything. Inside the bag were a few diapers and a bottle, nestled on the bottom was a can of formula, it was just enough to get hold her off until Rick scheduled the next run two days later. She later found out that Daryl had exchanged words with Rick, and while she didn’t know what he told him, Rick had started taking more of an interest in his daughter.

“Yea, he’s a good dad. Sometimes I wonder…what do you think would have happened if this whole thing never happened?”

“What do you mean?” Carol glanced at her.

“I mean…do you think Lori would have still cheated on him? Do you think Rick would have stepped up for Judith, I mean, it took him a while to really embrace her, ya know?

“I can’t tell you that Beth. We don’t know how they were before the end.” Carol glanced back out to the yard closing her eyes and enjoying the breeze.

“Where would _you_ have been if the world hadn’t gone to hell?” Beth didn’t really know much about Carol before the dead started rising and was curious.

“My world _was_ hell before all this.” Beth was surprised to hear this. “I had a husband…he wasn’t a good man. The only good thing Ed _ever_ gave me was Sophia. Honestly Beth, I’m kinda glad the end happened. I might have lost my daughter, and while that is a pain that I feel every day, I’ve gained my independence, and a strength that I never knew I had. I’ve made it this far, I’m a survivor. I know for a fact, that if things had been going the way they were before all this, I’d still be takin’ the beatings from Ed, and Sophia would be watching, learning that it was ok for a man to beat up on her. And if things hadn’t changed, she’d of grown up and found a man just like Ed, she was too good for that. She deserved so much better. I should have been stronger then, stronger for her. But I wasn’t.”

Carol turned away from Beth. She had never known, and it hurt to hear the woman voice break as she opened up to the younger woman.

“I’d be back in Senoia…” Carol had offered up a piece of herself and Beth was going to do the same. “It would have been me an’ Jimmy, after graduation we’d planned on getting’ married an’ startin’ a family…We talked about buyin’ some land off his daddy and he’d worked construction with his uncle, so he’d build us a small home. I’d take care of the house while he went off to work and we’d have kids and do the whole white picket fence thing…I’d always wanted kids…but now…” Beth trailed off shaking her head.

“Why not kids?”

“It’s a whole new world out there…it’s not fair to them…and what if somethin’ happened to me…I don’t want my husband or whoever I was with to have to take on that burden alone…there’s so much bad that can happen now a days…”

“Beth, the prison is safe. It could still happen, there are some good men here, and I’ve seen a few of the guys from Woodbury look at you.” Carol took her by the shoulders. “Or is it that somebody else has caught your eye.”

She let her eyes drift to Daryl who was over working on his motorcycle.

“I already know that’s not going to happen, don’t worry.”

“Why would I be worried?” Carol had meant that she had no interest in the man, however Beth took it differently. Apparently Carol didn’t see her as competition for Daryl’s affection she thought. A disinterested ‘hmm’ was Beth’s only reply.

            Just then the skies opened up and everybody made a dash for the entrance to get out of the downpour. Rick and Carl caught up to the women, Judith in tow and they entered together but something caught Beth’s arm and she was pulled back out into the chest of Zach. His lips were on hers before she could protest and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Beth came to her senses and pushed him away wiping her mouth, the boy used way too much tongue and it grossed her out.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She had to almost yell at him, the sheets of rain pounding the ground below their feet in a deafening beat.

“I thought…the other night you came onto me. You want me…right?” Beth knew she’d opened a can of worms and now she was paying the price.

“It was a mistake Zach! I’m sorry that I lead you on…that you thought there was somethin’ between up…but I don’t like you like that.”

“Is it cause I’m a bad kisser? Cause we can work on that.” He took a step towards her but she stepped back. She couldn’t deny he wasn’t that great when it came to kissing, but she did _not_ want to be the one to help him get better at it.

“No Zach. There’s someone else…” His face fell.

“Who is he? I don’t see you with anyone. He must not appreciate you…not like I would.”

“It doesn’t matter who…”

Daryl made his presence known as he pushed past the two of them, not even bothering to apologize for ramming his shoulder into the young man.

“Beth, get yer ass inside before ya catch somethin’. Your pa wouldn’t want ta hear ya got sick for messin’ with a _boy_ in the rain.” Daryl’s voice was harsh and his command left no room for disobedience.

            Beth breathed a sigh of relief, she was grateful that Daryl had put an end to their conversation and sent Zach running to his cell block like a pup with his tail between his legs. She followed behind Daryl as he led the way to their own block and she saw everyone gathered, drying off and laughing about the weather. The rain was always a welcome relief, it covered their scent from the walkers, dropped the stifling temperature a few degrees, and filled their water barrels for general use. Walking into her cell she quickly changed, the water had chilled her to the bones and she was glad that the prison was a little on the warm side.

            After dinner Beth offered to clean up, letting everyone else retire for an early night to their cells and common area. Beth finished scraping off the plates into a bucket for Rick to take to his pigs tomorrow after the rain had stopped. She piled the dishes to start washing when she felt a presence behind her, turning quickly she was ready to give Zach a thorough tongue lashing. Instead of meeting brown eyes she met the piercing blue gaze of Daryl. She was shocked to say the least, she had assumed that he was avoiding her as much as she was avoiding him.

“W-what are you doing here?” Beth cursed herself for sounding so timid.

“What are ya playin’ at?” Daryl grabbed her, crushing her body to his.

“I don’t understand…what do you mean?” She really wasn’t playing dumb, the only thing that was registering in her mind right now was the feel of her body melting into his.

“I know ya ain’ stupid…what do ya mean messin’ around wit’ that boy?” Daryl rocked his hips forward grinding himself into Beth. She moaned at the feel of his arousal.

“I’m not messing with anybody.” Daryl grabbed her ponytail in his fist and yanked her hair back.

“What I tell ya about lyin’ to me?” She could see he was livid and her heart raced as he dealt a stinging blow to her ass.

“I’m not!” She cried and his lips swooped down and he led her in a demanding kiss, his hand moving to cup her breast while the other remained fisted in her hair. He pulled back looking down at her flushed face.

“I saw the two of you in yer cell. Is this nothin’?” His hand gave her tit a painful squeeze and she moaned, enjoying his dominance.

Beth didn’t know how to reply, what _was_ this? He’d made it perfectly clear weeks ago that they weren’t anything, so what were they doing? He saw her hesitation and his blood boiled.

“Why do you care?” She threw back at him. “Are you jealous that I have somebody else?”

She knew better than to goad him but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to see if she could make him admit there was something between them, and if he wouldn’t admit it, she’d take what she knew he was fixing to give her.

Daryl scoffed at the idea, “You think I’m jealous…of tha’ boy?”

He turned her sharply, slamming her into the washbasin in front of her causing the dishes to clank together. Gripping her hips tightly he ground his hips into her ass, she could feel her panties begin to soak. Beth knew he would never admit he was jealous but seeing him so controling was turning her on, then again, anything he did managed to get her juices flowing. His hand slipped to unbutton the top of her jeans and he eased the zipper down before slipping his hand past the waistband of her panties he began playing with her. There they were, Daryl dryhumping her ass while his fingers played with her wet slit, anybody could walk in and catch them. The thought of getting caught sent a shiver down her spine, it was excited and heightened her senses.

“I can feel how wet ya are…soaking yer lil panties...does yer lil boy get ya wet like this?” He asked while curling his fingers in her.

“No…ah!” Beth cried out as he brushed her clit roughly.

“You best be quiet ‘fore somebody comes lookin’ ta see why you’re bein’ so loud.” He whispered harshly to her. “Or do ya wanna get caught?”

With one hand, he pushed her jeans and panties down to her knees before resuming his work fingering her pussy.

“Do ya wan’ everybody ta see how wet I getchu? How ya turn into a lil slut while ‘m fingerin’ ya?” His voice was gravely and she reveled in the sound. “Do you wan’ them all to see ya get off on my hand?”

“No…I’ll…ah….be quiet…” She bit her lip, muffling a whine that threatened to escape as he pulled his hand away from her. She heard him fumble with his belt before the sound of his pants dropping to the ground.

“Put yer hands on the tub…don’t move ‘em…” She gripped the washbasin tightly, her knuckles turning white. Daryl then pulled her hips further out, causing her to stretch to maintain her grasp like he had commanded her. Pushing her torso forward, she was stuck looking at the floor in a submissive position.

“That’s a good girl…are ya this good fer Zach?” When she didn’t respond he landed a spank on her butt. Beth wanted to cry out, it had been a painful hit, but it sent a throb through her tight channel.

“We only kissed…I swear….” Beth wanted him to know, he was the only who’d made her feel this way, the only one who set her body on fire and scorched her soul, he had branded himself completely on her and she needed him to know.

“Don’ lie girl,” Another hit connected to her cheek in a painful sting, Daryl saw the red handprint forming on her pale ass and he knew he wanted to mark her, mark her in a way that anybody who looked at her knew she was his. “I saw ya do more than kiss…I saw his hands on ya!”

“That was it! What you saw, that’s all we’ve ever done! You’re the only one Daryl!” He was pleased with her answer but he still raged over the fact that somebody else had touched her.

“’s tha’ right?” He gripped his hardened shaft in his calloused hand and pressed it to her nether lips.

“Yes!” Beth attempted to thrust her hips back but her position wouldn’t allow for any movement unless she relinquished her hold on the basin. She wasn’t going to knowingly disobey Daryl, not with the mood he was in.

“You’d say anythin’ to get my dick in yer cunt wouldn’ ya?” Beth didn’t know what to say to that, it was true but that didn’t make what she was telling him any less honest.

Thrusting forward Daryl bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to keep quiet, with her legs so close together because of her jeans, it created a tight fit for Daryl’s large member and he was loving it.

“Ya like tha’?” He asked her, thrusting jerkily into her hot wet passage, his only reply a hushed moan.

“Do ya like my cock in yer wet cunt?” He grabbed her ponytail again forcing her to make eye contact.

“Tell me ya like it…tell me ya like when I pound ya like this…how yer my own lil cock slut…” His words made her walls clench and it was an erotic feeling for her to be called his…even if he was calling her _his_ slut.

“I’m yours…ngh…Daryl…I’m your lil slut…I want…I want you to fuck me…” She could feel how deep he reached and savored the completeness he seemed to bring her.

“Tell me ya like my cock in yer pussy…tell me how yer boy’ll never make ya feel like I do!” Her eyes never left his while she told him the truth.

“I’ll never…ah…never feel this good…with…another…ah…man! Nghnn…You’re the…the only man…I want… _Daryl_!” She was getting loud and Daryl yanked her up covering her mouth with his in a harsh kiss, teeth clanked and tongues battled for dominance until Beth submitted to him. Thrusting up into her Daryl swore he could feel the end of her passage as he penetrated her deeper than he ever had.

“No boy, is gonna touch ya…this pussy…” he emphasized his words with a brutal thrust, “It’s mine…yer sexy body…” he grabbed her breast over her tank and gave it a squeeze, “It’s mine… _You_ _are mine_!”

It was his words that sent her over the edge. Hearing him claim her as his own was all she needed to hear for her walls to clench violently over him causing a string of curses to fall from his lips.

“Who do ya belong to?” He continued thrusting, trying to find is own release.

“Daryl! I’m yours…” Hearing those words tumble from her lips, Daryl grunted as he felt himself join her, emptying himself into her. While cumming he brutally bit down one the juncture of her neck and shoulder, knowing he’d leave a mark for her to explain, a mark that was visible to everyone in the prison.

Feeling Daryl bite down was enough to send another orgasm crashing over her. She milked him for all he had, her pussy clenching down trying to draw him deeper into her. Daryl stayed within Beth, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace, he rested his sweaty head on her back, both of them trying to catch their breath. Neither one of them spoke, unsure if what the other had said was due to their sex crazed minds or if it was genuine.

When Daryl did decide to pull out, the sight that greeted him had him moaning, wishing they could go another round. He watched as his cum slowly trickled down her thigh, Beth was still trying to recover and didn’t seem to mind as their combined body fluids reached her pants. Ever the gentleman, Daryl pulled up his pants and grabbing his dirty bandana wiped her off before pulling up her panties and jeans for her.

“How ya feel?” He questioned her, watching her zip and button her pants.

“I could use a smoke,” she answered him honestly, he had worn her out and a cigarette would be the cherry on top to her night.

“Don’ have any on me.” She just nodded before stepping forward to wash the dishes. Daryl opened his mouth to speak but unable to find the right words closed his lips, turned and left.

            Beth finished up the dishes before quietly slinking into her cell. In the soft light she saw a book on her bed…it was a Bible. A smile graced her face and she let out a laugh, picking up the book she opened the cover to reveal an engraved cigarette case, the faded picture of a horse graced the lid. Along with the case was a slip of paper and written in an almost illegible chicken scratch writing were the words, ‘I take care of my own’. Pocketing the message she opened the case to reveal four cigarettes, it was what he could spare from his stash.

The smile of her face radiated the joy she was feeling, Daryl took care of his own…and that’s exactly what she was, _his_.

 **Ok so that’s it! I had every intention of making this chapter longer but I can’t put off my studying any longer. Thank you for reading, if any of you are like me and procrastinating when you should be prepping for finals I thank you for choosing my story to procrastinate with, I know there are many stories out there that you can choose and yet you chose mine.** **J** **Please review, I do enjoy hearing that my writing is enjoyable. If characters are getting out of character or the plot is becoming too predictable let me know and I’ll work on fixing it.**


	6. Gentle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I felt that I had written myself into a corner with the last chapter. I was looking at where I wanted to go with this story and realized that it’s changed. I started reading interviews on Reedus and how he sees Daryl and relationships and thought, ‘Hey! That’s so true.’ So I’ve scrapped that and I’m winging it! Let me know what you think.

**Gentle**

            Stretching out on her bunk Beth let out a sign of content. She was feeling ten

**Gentle**

            Stretching out on her bunk Beth let out a sigh of content. She was feeling tender in the best way possible and as soon as the last person had gone to sleep, she was going to be able to head out and smoke one of the cigarettes Daryl had given her. Her eyes scanned the slip of paper over and over, committing everything about the note to memory, from the tight lettered scrawl to the torn edges, more than likely coming from some scrap he found lying around. The case he’d given her reminded her of Nelly, she wondered what had become of her skittish mare, did the horde get to her or did she manage to get away and was somewhere grazing on an overgrown field.

Beth rolled herself over onto her stomach and thought about the significance of Daryl’s gift. As far as she knew, he’d never gifted anything to anyone else in the group aside from Judith, did that put her on the same level as Judith in Daryl’s eye, Beth could only speculate. Thinking back, she was still hurt by his words in the shower but while his words said one thing, his actions today seemed to scream something else entirely. He had pulled away from her and lashed out when she asked him about his back, she’d never seen it but with the way he reaction she knew that there was something he did _not_ want her to see. She knew better than to push him on the subject and she hoped that by giving him time he would open up to her on his own.

            The clearing of a throat startled her and she scrambled to her feet, Zach was standing in her cell doorway, looking down awkward at his hands as he wrung his hands together.

“Hey, I just wanted to apologize for…ya know….earlier.” Beth smiled at him, he was kind of endearing when he was so nervous. He looked up at her, catching her smile her returned it.

“Hey, don’t wo-” She was cut off as he swept into her cell and gripped her shoulders with a panicked look on his face.

“What happened, when did this happen Beth?” Beth was a little frightened at his behavior and shrugged him off.

“What are you talking about?” She crossed her arms in front of her as if to shield herself from him.

“Beth, you’ve been bit!” Oh god, thought Beth, what was he talking about?

“What do you mean I’ve been bit?”

She didn’t have a mirror in her cell to see what he was talking about but his fingers gently swept across her neck and she winced in pain. Immediately she knew Daryl had left a mark when he had bitten her. While it was happening the pleasure she’d been feeling overwhelmed her and she didn’t think anything of it, but now, with Zach looking at her in terror, she realized it must have been worse than she thought.

“When did this happen? Did you run into a walker in the tombs? What the hell where you doing down there without anyone?!” He was getting louder and louder and was drawing attention to them from the other prisoners who were still awake. “If you wanted to go there, I would have gone with you, I would have kept you safe!”

            He was near hysterical and Beth wanted to throttle him. Before she could strike out her blood ran cold, Judith’s piercing cry echoed off the walls and she knew an angry Rick would be in her cell in a matter of seconds. She was half right-it was an angry Maggie and curious Glenn who made it to them first.

“What’s going on in here? Your little lovers spat woke Judith, couldn’t you keep quiet?”

“Beth’s been bit!” Maggie’s eyes widened and panic filled her brown eyes.

“What do you mean bit?” She was looking at Zach for answers when Glenn let out a laugh that he tried to play off as a cough.

“What’s so funny?” She looked murderously at Glenn. Here was Zach telling her that she was going to lose her baby sister and her fiancé was laughing about it.

“Uh Maggie...” Glenn leaned in closer to Maggie, “Beth got bit…but I don’t think it was a walker.” If he’d been going for privacy by leaning into her, he didn’t do a good job, none be found as everyone in the cell heard him.

Zach swung his gaze to Beth with his mouth open. Maggie looked downright murderous as she set her sights to Zach.

“What did you do?” She screeched smacking the innocent boy on the side of his head, the brunette would have landed another if Glenn hadn’t grabbed her and held her back.

“Beth, did he do that cause of me?” Zach’s voice almost sounded broken.

“What’s he talking about Beth? _Who_ did this to you?”

‘This is turning into a party,’ Beth thought as Rick came to the cell door rocking his daughter who was fussing, not appreciating getting woken up.

“What’s goin’ on here?” He squinted at them through tired eyes, taking in the situation. Beth looked like she was trying her best to become invisible, Zack looked like somebody just ran over his dog, and Glenn was holding back a furious Maggie- Rich just shook his head.

“Is everythin’ alright?” He asked again.

            Beth needed to get out of there, everybody was starting to gather around the cell and it was becoming suffocating. Pushing past everyone she exited the cell to feel everyone’s eyes on her, she suddenly regretted leaving it. Maggie was the first to follow her out, followed by Glenn with Zach bringing up the rear.

“Do you all mind tellin’ me just what the hell is goin’ on?” His voice was low so as not to disturb Judith who looked like she was finally dozing off again.

Everyone rushed to be the first one to get their story out and Rick just help up his hand effectively silencing them all. He looked to Maggie for her explanation which upset Beth, she had only stepped into the cell minutes before Rick, how the hell was she supposed to tell him what was going on. She looked up to the loft area to see Daryl watching, chewing on his thumb in nervousness. Beth didn’t know what she was going to tell everyone, she and Daryl hadn’t even had a chance to figure out what was their relationship to each other was. Turning her attention back to her sister she caught the tail end of what the older woman was telling Rick.

“Zach said it wasn’t him. That there was somebody else who might’ve done it ‘cause they’re dating.” That caught Beth’s ear, just what the hell was Maggie telling Rick.

“Me and Zach are _not_ together, we’ve _never_ been together.” She glared at Maggie. “And nobody hurt me!” Beth let out a yelp as Maggie dug her fingers into the swollen tissue on her neck.

“Yea.” She scoffed, “Nobody hurt you, what do you call that then?”  Beth didn’t know what to say, her private life was being aired out in front of everyone and Daryl was just up on his perch watching her flounder.

The clearing of a throat caught everyone’s attention and Beth looked to see her father leaning on his crutches looking straight at her.

“Daddy, you need to talk some sense into Beth, she needs to tell us who did this!” Maggie rushed to her father’s side hoping he would talk some sense into his youngest.

“I think, me an’ Beth need to talk. An’ everyone else, needs to get back to what they were doin’. Rick, I’m sorry that my daughter woke up yer girl, I’m sure she won’t mind taking her from you for the rest of the week so that you can rest.” Beth knew that while her father was getting her out of this situation, he was punishing her while doing it.

“Of course, I am so sorry about this Rick. I promise, nothing like this will happen again!” Rick just nodded looking at Hershel before walking away with his daughter. The low rumble of thunder could be heard, the storm still raging on as everyone dispersed.

“You three,” He motioned to Maggie, Zach and Beth, “Follow me.” With that he led the group out, Beth looked behind her in hopes of seeing Daryl before she left but he was nowhere to be seen.

      Hershel led them to their makeshift dining area and had them all sit down at a table. He was looking down at them and Beth felt she was back home on the farm waiting to be reprimanded for one thing or another. But Zach wasn’t Shawn and the farm had been lost for a long time, shaking away her thoughts she looked up at her dad.

“Now I wanna know what’s goin’ on. We’re gonna do this how I say, nobody talks unless I say, an’ if I ask a question I expect an honest answer.” Everyone nodded in understanding. “Zach, why don’t you start?”

“Well…I wanted to see Beth…and when I got to her room…I saw her neck…and I thought she’d been _bit_ bit, ya know? Then Maggie came in…and she hit me sayin’ I was the one to do it…Mr. Greene, I think Beth is in trouble…she told me there was this guy and now she’s got that nasty mark…” Zach trailed off, his nervousness evident in his voice.

“Now son, _why_ did you want to see Beth?” Her father’s tone never changed and she knew he wanted all the information before handling the situation.

“Well you see…me an’ Beth, I thought…maybe she liked me, she had kissed me earlier and so today, I decided to kiss her back…but she told me there was someone else.” Zach looked crestfallen as he told them what happened.

“Alright son, go back to you cell block, it’s late.” He was up and out the door in a matter of seconds, desperate to get away.

“Maggie, where do you play into all this?” Maggie just looked at him like he’d gone crazy.

“Dad, have you seen her neck?! Somebody hurt Beth, there’s no way she could have wanted that to happen!” Maggie was loud and Beth was sure what she was saying was making its way down the hall to everyone in their cells.

“That’s not true!” Beth yelled at Maggie. “I didn’t even know it was there ‘til Zach pointed it out!”

“Beth, you need to tell us who did this! Did they _touch_ you?” Beth was shocked, did her sister think somebody had forced themselves on her?

“No! Maggie, sure he touched me, but it was what I wanted!”

“How could you _want_ this?” Maggie looked at her younger sister, “Beth, you might think you want this, but you don’t really know, you don’t deserve this.”

“Girls!” Hershel barked for them to be quiet but they didn’t listen.

“Maggie, I wanted it! He didn’t force himself on me! He asked me more than once if I was sure and I said yes! Hell, I even initiated it the first time! He would _never_ do anything I didn’t want…” Beth trailed off and Maggie jumped.

“How can you know that’s what you wanted, you’re only sixteen Beth! This,” she gestured to her mark, “It isn’t love, you deserve somebody who’s going to take care of you, somebody who’s gentle!”

“Girls!” Hershel tried to gain control of his unruly daughters.

“Who said anything about love? And I’m nineteen! But you wouldn’t see that would you Maggie? Everyone here sees me as some little girl but I’m not the same as I was on the farm. You all see me as the babysitter to Judith, I never go out on runs, never do more than play housemaid here in the prison and nobody sees that I’ve grown into a woman! I am more than what everyone sees me as and if you can’t understand that then fu-”

“Bethany Ann Greene! Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” Hershel slammed his fist on the metal table. “Maggie, go back to your cell.”

“But-” She was cut off.

“Go, now!” Hershel was _not_ in the mood for any back talk and he sent his eldest away leaving a fuming Beth. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, leaning his crutches on the table.

“Bethany, look at me,” he took her smaller hand in his and she met her father’s blue eyes with her own. “I love you, and nothin’ you tell me is gonna change that. Now first, let me take a look at your shoulder.”

      Beth slowly craned her neck and pulled her shirt to the side to let her dad see. He examined the mark and let out a puff of air, teeth indentations could be seen in a dark purple color while the tissue surrounding it was an angry red and swollen. He gently touched it causing Beth to wince, it was really tender.

“What happened Beth?” He left the question open for her, he wanted her to feel free to tell him as much as she wanted.

“Daddy…” She let out a breath, she didn’t know where to start.

“Take your time…nothin’ you can say will make me think any less of you.”  He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I smoke Daddy.” He raised his eyebrow, out of everything he expected her to say, that was not one of them. “And it kind of got me and Daryl…talking…” Beth didn’t know how she was ever going to look her father in the eye after this conversation. “We’ve sort of been…seein’ each other…”

      Hershel was surprised, he knew Daryl was a good person who kept to himself mostly, and he never would have expected the hunter to take an interest in his daughter. Hershel knew better than to judge the man, while he might have a rough exterior but it seemed his little girl had, on some level, breached his walls.

“How long has this been going on?”

“On and off…for a couple months…maybe?” Beth had to think on that one, she didn’t really know.

“Beth, that bite…has he been treatin’ you right? I may only have one leg, but I’m pretty sure I can kick his tail.” She let out a laugh at the thought of her dad trying to kick Daryl for treating her poorly.

“He has his moments, but Daddy, he’s…we’re good together…this bite…we just got a little out of hand is all.” Hershel nodded.

“You know I’m not stupid, I was young once…have you both been smart, usin’ protection?” Beth felt her heart stall, they _hadn’t_ been smart at all.

“Of course, Daddy!” She hoped that she was believable ‘cause she knew her daddy would tan her hide before setting his sights on Daryl, and she didn’t want that.

“Good. Beth, what you said…about not being seen as an adult…you’re right.” He paused before continuing, “I know everyone here sees you as a child and I think that needs to change. I know I’ve played a part in keeping you sheltered…I’ve asked Rick to let you stay back on runs, I kept you busy when everyone else was learning to shoot…I think it’s about time that changed…It’s time that you started taking more responsibilities in the group, that is if you want.” Beth nodded her affirmation. “When it comes to Daryl…I can’t tell you what to do, who you can or can’t see…but you tell him I want to have a few words with him. I won’t go to him, it’d be too obvious, but it’s every father’s right to tell the man who’s seein’ his lil girl that he better do right by her an’ put the fear o’ God in ‘im.”

“Thank you Daddy!” Beth leaned over to embrace her father tightly.

“It’s up to the two o’ you to let the group know, if that’s somethin’ you’re wanting to do. But as far as I’m concerned, as long as he treats you right…it’s nobody’s business but your own. I’m gonna talk with Maggie, she’s not to press you on this, if she does you let me know an’ I’ll set her straight.” He kissed the top of her head tenderly. “Beth, I need you to promise me, if he ever hurts you…you need to tell me. Don’t let yourself be blinded by love, he’s not to touch one hair on your head in violence!” He looked her in the eye and she could see his worry.

“He’s not like that, I might not know everything about him…but I _know_ he wouldn’t do that.” Beth comforted her dad.

“Alright, it’s late and I’m tired. Remember, you’re taking care of Judith starting tomorrow.” With that he stood up and with his crutches, hobbled his way back to C block.

      Beth remained seated, her mind reeling as she processed what happened. It was surreal that her father would take everything in stride like he had, she knew he had always been a quiet man, observing a situation before commenting on it, and it was something Beth was grateful for. She knew she’d have to seek out Daryl and let him know what had occurred, part of her had hoped that he would take pride in his claim on her and let everyone know that she was his, but that wasn’t the case. He had looked tense when she glanced at him, maybe his claims of her being his weren’t all she thought they were, maybe it was only her body he wanted and not her as an individual. She needed to talk to Daryl before her mind led her astray with all the negative thoughts running through it.

      She didn’t want to go back to her cell block and face everybody who was there so instead she grabbed a cup and began rummaging through the supplies for some of the instant coffee she had seen earlier. Steeping the bag in some water, she made her way out into the storm to the guard tower, making sure to cover the top of the mug with her hand in an attempt to keep the rain out. Just before she could open the bottom door, it swung open and she saw Tyreese about to exit.

“Whoa, almost ran you over!” He told her above the rain, before pulling her inside with him. “Whatchu doing out here? It’s nasty out, you should be inside.” She motioned with her mug.

“I was gonna bring you some coffee, your shift only started a little while ago, I thought you could use a pick me up.” She gave him a timid smile, she didn’t know him that well since he’d joined the group, but he and his sister pulled their weight.

“That’s nice of you, but Daryl came up not too long ago and said he couldn’t sleep, that he’d take my watch. Figured I might be able to get to spend some time with Karen.”

“Well that’s nice of him, I guess I’ll just run this up to _him_ then huh?” Beth had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling too big, this was working out better than she had hoped.

“Yea! It was nice of you to think of me Beth, you’re a real sweet girl.” Blushing she just nodded her head. She didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth, that whoever was up there was just going to be her escape giving enough time for everyone to go to sleep before slinking into her cell undetected.

“Thanks, tell Karen I say hello.” He nodded, bringing the hood of his jacket over his head he ran for the doors of the prison.

      She turned, as she climbed the stairs of the tower she thought of what she was going to say to Daryl. Reaching the top she saw him sitting and smoking, smirking she walking over to him. She’d never been stealthy and she knew he heard her approach so when she reached his side she wasn’t surprised to hear him let out a grunt in greeting.

“Can I take a puff?” Her voice was quiet as the rain fell against the roof and railing. He held out the cigarette to her without looking and she took it silently, inhaling the addictive smoke and savoring it before exhaling. Handing it back to him wordlessly Beth lowered herself to the spot next to Daryl.

“So I talked to my dad.” She waited for a response and only received a grunt.

“He knows it was you.” Another grunt, he was starting to frustrate her, he was pulling away from her again and she didn’t know why.

“He wants to talk to you about it.” So that wasn’t _exactly_ why her father wanted to talk to Daryl but she hoped it would get more out of him than what he was giving her.

“Nothin’ _to_ talk about.” Biting her lip she turned herself to face him.

“What do you mean? Not even three or four hours ago you were calling me yours, he just wants to know your intentions.”

“Girl, that shit ain’t me! I ain’t gonna go talk to yer daddy an’ tell ‘im we’re screwin’.” That hurt to hear.

“So that’s it? We’re just screwing? If that’s the case then why should you care about Zach touching me? You admitted it bothered you, you were jealous!”

“I ain’t jealous of no _boy_.” He ground out.

“Then you wouldn’t mind it if I kissed him again? If I let him touch me again?” She saw the anger start to build in his eyes. “What if I asked him to stay in my cell tonight? You wouldn’t be jealous then?”

“Damnit Beth!” He finally snapped. “I ain’t no good for you! Truth is, that boy is better for you, he wouldn’t do what I did to ya.”

“What are you talking about, Daryl, I wanted you to do those things to me. I love it when you touch me, I like how it feels when you’re inside me-”

“Don’ say that! I heard Maggie, you deserve somebody who’s gonna treat ya gentle, you don’ deserve any guy callin’ you a slut, makin’ you do what I’ve made ya do.”

“You didn’t _make_ me do anything I didn’t want to do! And as for being gentle…I’m sure you can do just as good gentle as you can when you’re rough.” She tried placing her hand on his but he moved away.

“What are ya doin’ out here anyway, you should be in bed.”

“I didn’t want to go back there, I know everyone heard and I just don’t think I can stand them starting at me…Daryl, why’d you leave me alone back there, when I had Maggie on my back about your bite?” He just shrugged.

“Do you…did you…did you mean what you said in the showers…am I just a good roll in the hay? Do I mean anything to you?” Beth’s heart pounded in her chest and she feared his answer.

“Beth…I ain’t no good at this shit...I ain’t…I’ve never…” He inhaled his cigarette deeply and puffed out the smoke exasperated. “Ya gotta understand somethin’…it’s always been me an’ Merle…any women in my life…they went real quick…I’ve never…just…” He clenched his jaw.

“Daryl, it’s ok…we don’t have to label this…and we don’t have to tell anyone…just…can you…” Beth shook her head, this was a lot harder than she thought it would be. “If I’m gonna be yours Daryl…you gotta be mine too. Let me in…I’m not asking you to tell me everything you’ve ever thought or did…but…let me be there for you now…ya know?” She hoped he understood where she was coming from.

“I ain’t no good for ya. I ain’t gonna be no Prince Charming or some other bullshit like that.”

“I’m not asking you to be anybody other than you.” Beth set down the cup in her hands and took the dead cigarette from his hand, flicking it out into the rain. She crawled into his lap, facing him, and took his face into her hands.

“Daryl, aside from you, I’ve only had one other guy in my life. You’re all I know…you’re all I want to know…this is new to me too…and we can figure this out together. You said it yourself, you don’t want this to stop.”

      Beth ran her thumb across the stubble on his face enjoying how it felt against the pad of her finger. Leaning forward she captured his hips in a slow gentle kiss. She flicked her tongue across his lips asking permission to explore his mouth and he responded with a moan as he opened to her. She swept her wet tongue across his and pulled it into a dance with her own. Beth pulled away slowly to gain her breath before resuming. This was unlike anything they’d ever experienced together, instead of fire and passion, there was a timid shyness to their movements, like two fumbling virgins attempting to spark a fire.

      She ran one of her hands through his damp hair, it still hadn’t dried from when he had come to relieve Tyreese. As she kissed him thoroughly she massaged his scalp with her blunt nails and he moaned into her mouth.

“I’m supposed ta be on watch.” He mumbled against her lips.

“Walkers aren’t active in the rain.” Everyone knew that, the noise of the rain pelting objects confused them and all scents were washed away, covering any trace of live prey.

“Beth, I don’t know how ta be gentle.” He was voicing his fear to her and was worried she would reject him because of it.

“We can figure it out together.” She looked him in the eye and he lost himself in her light. She was too good for him, too pure and it scared him that he might corrupt that goodness in her.

“I don’ thin-” Her lips cut him off and he let himself go.

      Her kisses were light and tender, touching something inside him he’d never experienced before. Beth caressed him like he was made of glass and at that moment in time, he felt like he was, like he might shatter if she were to reject him and push him away. She pushed his sleeveless flannel shirt off his shoulders before her hands found the hem of his wife beater and pulled it over his head. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest as she explored the expanse of his chest, her delicate fingers dancing over his scars.

      She paused in her exploration to rid herself of her sweater and shirt, leaving her straddling him in just her jeans and bra. Returning to her exploration of him, she peppered kisses along his jaw, down his neck and to his shoulders. Her hands moved to his back and he stiffened, his heart thumping out of his chest. He knew she could feel them, the hideous reminder of his upbringing, he’d known women who would comment about them, some even rejected him after discovering they were there. But Beth didn’t even flinch, her hands roamed freely and her kisses fell down on him like a cleansing rain. She wouldn’t judge him, it wasn’t in her to do something like that, and Daryl felt relief for the first time in a long time. He wasn’t being judged, she wasn’t asking him to explain himself, she just wanted him to be there in the moment with her.

“Beth, stop.” His voice was quiet. She pulled back in shock, she thought that things were going well but she’d guessed wrong.

“Get up.” She got off him and grabbed her things to leave but was stopped when he held onto her. “I just thought we might as well take everythin’ off if we’re gonna do this.”

      Smiling at him she rid herself of her remaining clothes, he did likewise. Staring at her he knew she was an angel, his saving grace in a world gone to hell. The way she looked at him, a halo of golden hair, eyes so innocent and blue, she might know her way around the bedroom, but she was not yet wise to the cruelty man could bestow on one another, she had hope in the goodness of people, and he wanted to protect her from ever discovering just how cruel people could be.

      He sat her back down onto his lap, his erection brushing her entrance but he didn’t enter her, he was going to follow her lead this. She leaned in for another kiss, letting her hands explore anywhere and everywhere before finding his own and placing them on her body. He understood what she wanted and he began his own exploration. He liked how her breath hitched when he trailed his fingers on the underside of her breast, or how she giggled when he lightly caressed her side. This was a new experience but he found himself enjoying it.

      When she grabbed his straining erection and positioned it against her dripping opening he held his breath in anticipation, and as she lowered herself onto him, he felt his eyes roll back in his head. She took it slow, rising and falling at a leisurely pace, torturing him in the most enjoyable way. Still she explored him with her hands and mouth, no place was safe, she left hickeys along his chest and shoulders, steering clear of his neck. Part of him wanted for her to mark him, he knew he wasn’t ready to come out to everybody, but he had wanted her to be able to stake her claim on him as well.

      Beth was in complete bliss, she was riding him slowly and it was like building a fire within her, soon the flames would engulf her and she’d be in nirvana. Her pace never quickened and she felt his hands caressing, his breath against her warm skin, licking and nipping at her body she felt him discovering her in a whole new way. Beth knew she was connecting with him, bonding herself to him and while she couldn’t tell if it was love, she knew she felt a deep desire to stay by his side and protect him in any way she could. Circling her hips against him they both let out a low moan at the sweet friction.

She was close, she could feel her toes begin to curl as she gently bounced on his lap.

“Daryl…” she moaned, “I’m gonna…cum…”

Daryl grunted and began thrusting up to meet her as she landed on him. He knew once he felt her tight pussy clench against him it would be game over for him. His hand made its way between their bodies and he rubbed circles along her swollen clit eliciting a moan from his blond partner.

“That’s it, cum fer me.” He nipped at her tender mark and she felt herself letting go. Clenching her eyes shut tight she whispered his name over and over like her own little prayer and his arm circled her waist as he joined her. She clamped over his erection like a vice and he called out her name as he came deep within her, coating her inner walls with his cum.

Their breathing was harsh and uneven as they came down from their bliss. Neither one of them moved to detach from the other as they clung together.

“See, gentle’s good too.” Beth whispered to him as he replied.

“Yea…I can do gentle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is. I’m not 100% on this, if anyone has any suggestions on tweaking it let me know, otherwise I’ll continue from here. Watching Reedus talk about any potential romance, I think Daryl is gonna have to still come to terms with what Beth is offering before he fully accepts it. Let me know what you think and if there are any errors, thanks for reading!


	7. Determined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back with another chapter of Punishment! Not very smutty but I hope to change that with the next chapter!

**Determined**

            It had been raining for the past three days and the weather showed no signs of letting up, everyone was slowly going stir-crazy. Everything had been going smooth the first day, the only ones really working were those assigned to the watchtower and meal/cleaning duty, a day off in the apocalypse was a refreshing change in pace. It was on the second day that Beth started noticing her sister, wherever Beth went, Maggie followed. Rocking Judith while cooking meals, Maggie was there to critique the food. Changing dirty diapers, Maggie was there questioning if the possibility of a diaper rash. Going to the bathroom, Maggie needed to go too. Taking coffee to whoever was lucky enough to pull watch…Maggie sent Glenn for that, he told Beth she didn’t like getting cold and wet. If it wasn’t for Glenn she was sure the brunette would have moved into her cell, thank goodness for small favors.

           Beth was tired of her older sibling driving her up the walls, she felt paranoid that at any second Maggie would pounce and demand to know the identity of her rough lover. Enough was enough, Maggie was treading the line her father had set with the grace of a tight rope walker. She never asked for Beth to spill the beans, and all conversation seemed innocent enough, but Beth knew better. She knew her sister was playing to win, using mental torture that all older siblings seem so skilled at. Her father had already told her that he couldn’t do anything about it, she wasn’t disobeying him and there was nowhere for her to go to separate the two unless she was willing to bunk in cell block D. She didn’t want to do that.

 “If you’ll be my star, I’ll be your sky, you can hide underneath me and come out at night…” She was rocking Judith for her afternoon nap while singing low. “When I turn jet black, and you show off your light…I live to let you shine…”The soft breathing of the girl in her arms caused her to smile, Beth had hope that their future in the prison was bright, so that Judith could grow up safe and protected, loved by everyone that lived there.

“Knock knock.” Looking up Beth saw Carol looking at her while leaning on the bars to her cell. “You wanna put her down and help me with dinner?”

“Yea, let me just ask Rick if it’s ok if I leave her with him.” She was still being punished, watching the little girl to make up for the fight that had woken her and her daddy up. It was hard for her to see it as a punishment, she was slowly starting to sleep through the nights and only woke up to fall back asleep after sticking her pacifier back in. Walking out she spotted Carl and Rick, they were playing some card game and both looked a little awkward around one another.

“Hey Rick,” She held tightly to the baby, “Would you mind if I put Judith down in you cell so I can help Carol with dinner?”

“Yea, I’ll watch her. You know you didn’ have to watch her for me, I understand what happened.” Beth smiled down at him.

“She’s really no trouble, in fact, I think I might have gone crazy these last couple days if I didn’t have her around.” Rick laughed before responding.

“Yea, I’ve noticed ya got yerself a shadow. Listen, I’ll take her back from ya, consider ourselves even.” She simply nodded.

“Thanks, well I’m gonna put her down, supper’ll be ready in a few.”

“Just holler an’ we’ll all come.” With that Beth turned from them and walked towards Ricks’ cell to put his daughter down and head off to help Carol.

            When she arrived, she noticed Carol had already started without her, looked like it was grits again. They were running out of meat, as soon as the weather cleared Daryl was going to have to hunt and hopefully catch something, the pigs weren’t big enough yet to slaughter. She smiled when she saw two of the younger girls from Woodbury bustling behind Carol, copying her every move.

“Looks like you have two helpers already, what do you need me for?” She leaned against a table watching the three of them prepare dinner.

“Lizzie, Mika, why don’t the two of you head back and tell everyone dinner will be ready soon?” The girls smiled up at her before racing off to cell block D to give them the message. “Just thought we could talk, I heard what happened, you alright?”

Beth just shrugged her shoulders, “Seems like everyone heard, I’m fine.” The truth of it was Beth wasn’t fine, she wanted to be alone with Daryl. She hadn’t had any time to talk with him. Watching up prowl around the prison like a caged animal stirred something primal within her and she was disappointed that she couldn’t act on it. She knew he wanted to get out, he was never one to be cooped up, going out hunting, on supply runs, he always kept himself busy, but now he was forced to sit still and wait for the skies to clear.

“You sure? You can talk to me about it if you want, I won’t tell Maggie anything.” Carol stirred the thickening grits while staring at her. Shifting uncomfortably she was about to open her mouth when Daryl walked in shaking off the rain from his hair and clothing.

“Shit needs to fuckin’ stop. Ground out there’s turnin’ the yard into a God damn swamp, next thing we know Ricks’ pigs’ll be floatin’!” Carol laughed at him and shook her head.

“Is that right? You know, you’re lookin’ kinda tense there Pookie, maybe I should return the favor and help you rub it out, eh?” She gave him a wink when he blushed and looked away.

            Beth let out a snort which caught the silver haired woman’s attention, a smile formed on her face, she finally knew Beth’s mystery man and let out a chuckle. Inside Beth was fuming, she had never seen Daryl blush with her and it ate at her something fierce. And just what was this favor that Carol wanted to return? If it involved rubbing any part of Daryl it sure as hell wasn’t going to happen and she’d make sure of it. Through all of this she studied Daryl through the corner of his eye and grew upset when he didn’t decline the offer.

“So, your cell or mine?” Carol was having fun with this, she was able to make them both squirm and none were the wiser.

“Nah, just spoon me a bowl of tha’ shit, I don’ wanna be here when everyone comes runnin’.”

       He didn’t even look at Beth when he passed her to swipe the bowl from the teasing matriarch. Shoveling a heaping spoonful into his mouth he gave a toothy grin to Carol causing her to laugh and look away from his childish antics. Before Beth could finish plotting his demise in her head the first wave of the Woodbury group arrived and she decided it was only fair to let their cell block know it was dinner time.

        After letting everyone know, she slowly trudged her way back to the dining area in a foul mood. She heard footsteps approaching and saw Daryl hunched over walking towards her, her anger surged forward and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He let out a curse as she crashed her lips to his, claiming his mouth with her own. Feeling his chapped lips on her smooth ones she moaned in contentment. She let her tongue clash with his and fought to dominate the kiss, she refused to let him take charge of this. Beth wanted to put him in his place, remind him who she was to him, and erase any thoughts of being rubbed by anyone other than her. Pulling away she gripped his bottom lip with her teeth and gave it a harsh nip. Satisfied she looked up at him, his eyes were glazed and lips swollen, her job was done and she turned from him.

“Wha’ the hell was that?” He called after her but she didn’t respond as she continued her way back to the mess hall.

“Why don’t you run some dinner up to the guard tower?” Carol handed her a bowl and spoon.

“Yea, sure thing. Who’s on watch?” She wanted to have a heads up in case it was Zach, she’d been avoiding him since her Daddy had talked to him. He would give her the saddest look, blaming himself for the mark that still hadn’t healed on her shoulder.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure they’re hungry. You want a plate for yourself?” She held out another bowl and Beth took it from her. She saw Glenn and Maggie and walked over to them.

“Gonna run this up to the guard tower, you coming Glenn?” He looked at her sheepishly before looking at Maggie who was glaring at him.

“Umm…uhh...” He finally threw his hands up in frustration, “I’m tired of the two of you acting like this. You’re sisters, so what if she’s messing around with some guy, you’ve had me do some weird shit Maggie and Beth hasn’t judged you because of it!” Maggies jaw dropped and a fire erupted in her eyes.

“Glenn!” She hissed at him, trying to keep her voice below a yell. “What we do in our private lives is just that! Private!”

“Yea well…that should go for her too. I’m just sick of this.” With that he walked off, Maggie glared at Beth before she took off after him.

            Beth felt bad for that, she wasn’t completely innocent and knew that Glenn was the weakest link out of the three of them and was bound to break if she poked at him long enough. But she had hurt both of them in the process and no matter how much her sister angered her, she was still family and that was important to her. Frowning she opened the door and braced herself for the downpour, luckily it had slowed to a drizzle and she hoped that it meant the end was in site. Walking up the tower steps, leaving muddy wet footprints she reached the top and saw the dreaded hair belonging to Michonne.

            Out of everyone that could be on watch, she was glad that it was her. She knew about Daryl and hadn’t judged her once about it, or questioned if she was making the right decision, she just accepted it and didn’t bat a lash. She silently handed the woman her dinner and joined her in a quiet meal.

“So, what’s goin’ on with you an’ Daryl?” Beth swallowed her bite before setting her bowl down and looked at Michonne.

“Things are…alright. He’s not ready to tell the group so we’re…taking it slow.” Michonne smirked.

“Yea? An’ how’s your sister takin’ that?”

“I don’t know how she’s going to take it when she finds out it’s Daryl…truth is…I don’t know if she’ll _ever_ find out.” She frowned, admitting that Daryl might never be comfortable to tell anyone left a bad taste in her mouth.

“An’ you’re fine with that?”

“I don’t know…” Playing with the sleeves of her sweater she continued, “All I know…is that if I can’t be with him…I don’t want anybody else.” Michonne nodded her head, satisfied with her answer.

“Anythin’ else eatin’ at you?” For some reason it was easier to talk to this woman than anybody else.

“Yea. I talked to Daddy…he brought up somethin’ that I’m a lil worried about…”

“Just spit it out!” Michonne wasn’t one for girl talk and didn’t feel like pulling teeth with the young woman.

“We haven’t been using condoms!” As soon as she finished her statement she felt a hit to the back of her head.

“What the hell? You take care of a baby all day, that should be a constant reminder of what happens when you decide to fool around!” She let out an angry growl. “Girl, you’re just askin’ for trouble, I thought you were smarter than this.”

“Well he doesn’t seem to be too worried…maybe not everything…fires right?” Beth heard a laugh from the other woman.

“You ever stop to think that maybe he’s not worried cause as soon as you two start humpin’ like rabbits all worries he has up in his lil brain go out the window?” She started at the wide-eyed blond. “Guys aren’t like us, they don’ worry about the things we do, I doubt the thought’s even crossed his head.”

“Well should I tell him?” Michonne shook her head. “You owe me, big time. More than just an extra helpin’ at meals or some bullshit like that. Next run I’m gonna bring you back a test, you take it an’ it’s negative, we’re gonna start trainin’ ya. I overheard your dad and Rick talking about getting’ you some skills with a weapon, me training you will kill two birds with one stone.”

“I don’t understand…how am I going to pay you back?”

“Aside from Daryl I don’ trust anyone for shit when we go on runs. At least if I train you, I know you’ll be competent enough to watch my back when we go out.”

“Really? Yea, I can do that!”

           Beth was looking forward to the next run, she wanted to begin working with Michonne as soon as possible. Tossing her bowl to the blond she licked her fingers clean and turned her gaze back out to the soggy yard. They stayed like that for a few hours, both lost in their own thoughts with casual conversation thrown in whenever they felt like it. It took Beth by surprise when Glenn came up the steps to relieve Michonne, she had stayed there for an entire shift and she knew she’d have to get to bed.

            Saying their goodbyes to the Korean, they walked together into the dark prison. Everything was quiet and when Michonne left Beth to finish their dishes from supper, she felt a shiver run up her spine. The shadows played tricks with her eyes and she rushed to finishes the bowls and spoons before bolting to her room. Letting out a sigh of relief, the familiar rows of cells greeted her and she paused at Maggie’s, she still felt bad about earlier.

“Maggie,” she quietly called, “Maggie, you awake?” A grunt was all she got. “I just wanna say I’m sorry, you know, about earlier. I don’t want you an’ Glenn to fight.” She heard the rustling of covers before seeing her sisters’ face in the pale light.

“I’m sorry too. I just don’ like the thought of somebody hurtin’ you. Beth, I’m supposed to protect you, an’ seein’ that mark…I don’ care what you say, that ain’t right.” Beth shook her head, she knew she would never get her sibling to see that she was capable to take care of herself, she’d always be Maggies’ baby sister.

“Look, I don’t wanna fight. I just thought I’d let you know that Glenn just went on watch. It’s still rainin’ an’ everything looks quiet. Maybe you might wanna…go _talk_ with him?” She saw her sisters brown eyes widen and a feral grin spread across her face.

“Yea, thanks Beth. I really am sorry we can’t see eye to eye on this.” Giving her a hug they parted ways, Maggie to go make nice with Glenn, and Beth to her cell. Walking in the dark she let her eyes glance up to where Daryl’s’ cell was located, away from everyone else. Slipping off her shoes in her cell she quietly ascended the stairs and slipped into the dark room. Waiting for her eyes to adjust she saw him asleep on his cot with his arm over his face. She frowned when she saw him in his jeans and a wife beater, that couldn’t be comfortable.

“Daryl,” She whispered, she knew better than to approach him without making herself known. She didn’t want to be on the wrong end of his knife. “Daryl!” She nudged his foot with her own and he startled awake.

“Wha’ are ya doin’ in here?” He sounded a little worried.

“I missed you.” Running his hand through his hair he gruffly replied.

“Ya shouldn’ be up here, don’ wanna get caught.”

Beth pulled her top over her head and stepped towards him. “Then we better be quiet.” Shimmying out of her jeans she caught a groan from him.

“Damnit Beth.” She hushed him with a finger on his lips.

“Daryl, quiet.”

“Ain’ me I’m worried about.” He pulled her towards him but she held firm and stopped him.

“I wanna try something. Can you take off your jeans?” She heard the rustling fabric and knew he’d slipped them off.

            Kneeling before the cot she took him in her hand and felt it twitch at her gentle touch. Slowly she began stroking, getting to know the feel of him in her hand, up and down she alternated between a twisting motion and slow stroke. All that could be heard in the room was his heavy breathing and it sparked something in her. She felt the wetness forming at his head and swept her thumb over it earning a hiss as her reward.

            Daryl let his hand hang over the side of his bunk and trailed his hand up and down Beth’s thigh, her smooth skin prickling under his touch.  Though he couldn’t fully see her, he could make out her nude figure and wanted nothing more than to be buried deep within her. She took him by surprise when he saw her rise and look down at him, he could see the wheels in her head turning and wondered what she was up to.

            Bracing her hands on his thighs Beth tried to balance herself as she situated herself over his chest so that she was facing his feet, and he had a face full of her pert ass. A slap echoed the room and she turned to glare at him, worried that the noise might be heard.

“Know what yer tryin’ to do, I don’ wan’ my neck killin’ me in the mornin’.” He gently pushed her off of him and laid her down before taking her previous position over her.

“Better not get us caught woman.” With that he dove down and was pleasantly surprised as his tongue swept across her already moist core.

            Beth was worried that she had made a mistake sneaking up here to fool around with Daryl, keeping quiet was going to be harder than she thought as he went to town on her. Deciding to return the favor she gobbled up the hard flesh that was dangling in front of her. Craning her neck, she was able to draw him deeper down in her mouth than she ever had before and she heard his breathing hitch when his tip hit the back of her throat. Harsh breathing and sounds of wet slurps were the sounds that filled the cell as both tried not to break the silence that permeated the prison.

            Daryl was enjoying this, he had been left frustrated after Beth had kissed the shit out of him and walked away. He didn’t know what it meant, but knew that it was meant to serve as a punishment of sorts and it worked, he had come back to his cell with a raging hard on and tried his hardest to ignore it. Now he had his angel with her sweet lips wrapped around him while he feasted up her dripping pussy. His tongue laved attention to her pink swollen pearl and enjoyed seeing her hips thrust up in an attempt to get more from him. It was a silent plea that he fulfilled as he took her clit between his lips and gently scraped his top teeth along the swollen flesh causing her to stiffen before shuddering, he knew she’d come before him and continued his assault.

            Inserting three of his fingers, he knew it’d stretch her in a way that she craved, her breathing increased further and she hummed low around his cock sending a shiver down his spine. Thrusting harshly into her and nipping at her, he felt her thighs quiver and knew what has coming. Curling his fingers he brushed the rough tissue of her g-spot and his dick popped from her mouth as she let out a guttural moan. Biting her hand Beth attempted to keep quiet as he brought her to her climax and she squeezed her eyes shut enjoying the orgasm that rocked her body.

            Daryl stood and watched the shuddering girl who laid on his cot with a grin, he’d never tire of watching her cum. When the aftershocks stopped he pulled her off the cot and she took the hint to finish him off. Taking his swollen member back in her mouth she enthusiastically took him down her throat and Daryl let his hand grip her head as his hips thrust to meet her lips. Breathing hard he picked up their pace as he fucked her mouth and with a grunt he pushed her head harshly down to make her take all of him, burying her nose in his dark curls. Beth attempted to swallow the bitter cum that spurted across her tongue and down her throat, it took him a few minutes to compose himself and pull his softening member from her warm mouth.

Pulling her to her feet he kissed her lips gently. “Yer gettin’ good at that.”

Daryl sat down on his cot, pulling the covers over his legs and waist as Beth began to dress.

“Daryl, when can we start tellin’ people about us?” He gave a sigh.

“I still ain’ gone an’ talked to your daddy.”

“It’s just…I don’t like people not knowing you’re mine. I don’t want anyone thinkin’ they can come along and have you.” Beth buttoned her jeans before groping the ground for her shirt.

“What’re ya talkin’ ‘bout?” He laid down watching her dark figure pull the top on over her head.

“I didn’t like hearing you and…Carol talking…” She needed him to know that she wasn’t going to take him flirting in front of her.

“Psh…That’s just how she is.” He didn’t feel the need to explain his relationship with Carol.

“I don’t like it Daryl! You tell her to stop or…” Beth huffed sitting herself next to his legs.

“Are you jealous?” He was glad that she couldn’t see his grin in the dark.

“No!” Beth quieted down, not wanting anyone to hear them.

“You are! I can’t believe it…you give me shit about being jealous of that piece of shit an’ here you are jealous of Carol!”

“Fine, maybe I am…maybe I should just mark you like you did me…” Beth leaned over him and bit down on his shoulder, not hard enough to leave anything, but to let him know she was thinking about it. Immediately he ripped her off him.

“Don’t!” He didn’t care to keep quiet anymore.

Hurt she asked him, “What’s it going to take for us to be together? Out in the open?”

“I jus' don’ think it’s smart to kick the hive an' stir up shit. Maggie’ll kill me, still haven’ gone to your pa...I’m not ready to be judged, I don’t want everyone to think that I’m some pedophile for bein’ with ya.”

“ I’m nineteen though!” She knew he saw her as a woman, that wasn’t the real issue.

“ I know! It’s just…I’ve become _somebody_ in this group, and I’d like to keep it that way….” There it was, he wanted to be accepted in the group and was scared to lose that.

“So you’d be ok if you knew everyone wouldn’t make a big deal?” The wheels in her head turned and she waited for him to respond.

“Yea…I guess…it’d make it easier that’s for sure.” Beth dipped forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

“Alright then. Goodnight Daryl.”

     As she took the short walk back to her cell she began planning on a way to get Daryl to come out about their relationship. She wanted to be able to openly show her affections with the hunter and she’d be damned if she didn’t make that a reality. Beth may not look like much, but she was a force to be reckoned with, especially when she was this determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I haven’t been spending much time working on Punishment because of school and now I’m biting at the bit for school to be over with so I can dive headfirst into my other work The Breaking of Beth Greene. I will promise you all, I won’t abandon this, but I’m not going to turn out a chapter that I’m not satisfied with so postings might get fewer and far between. As always, let me know what you think and if you catch any mistakes please tell me so that I can fix them! Thank you for reading!


	8. Missed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! So my muse for this story decided to interrupt my study time and I couldn’t do anything but listen to her. It’s insane, I’ve got everything planned out for the rest of this story and if everything goes right, it’ll be another seven, yes seven, chapters before we finish this. I want to thank everyone for their patience and those who’ve reviewed, they really do keep me going, I like hearing everyone’s opinions and thoughts even if it’s just a short ‘good job!’ Without further ado, on with the story!

               Beth had spun her wheels and was ready to start putting her plan into action, starting with Sasha and Tyreese. It had been simple enough to get Sasha alone along the fence as they ran metal rods through the heads of the walkers that pushed themselves up along the chain-link in an attempt to get to them.

“Hey, you hear about Maggie an’ me?” She only got a grunt in response and took it as a yes, word had spread throughout the prison like wildfire and Beth knew there was nobody who hadn’t heard about it.

“Can you keep a secret?” She knew what she was risking telling Sasha about Daryl. She’d seen the young woman talking with Maggie before and didn’t know the extent of their friendship, she might run and tell Maggie before she could complete her plan.

“Depends…as long as it don’t affect the group in any way, I don’t see why not.” Another walker dropped as she pulled the metal from his face. Beth frowned, in a way, it did involve the group, but not directly.

“Would you say my love life affects the group?” She glanced at the woman who stopped what she was doing to look at her.

“Are you really gonna tell me who you’re screwing with before Maggie?” She shook her head. “The only reason it’s such a big deal is cause of your sister, didn’t seem your dad had much to say about it.”

“Yea…but can you honestly tell me Tyreese wouldn’t react the same way if he found a love bite on you?” She laughed picking up her arms and stabbed a walker through the eye. Grunting she pulled away causing the walker to drop to the ground.

“Well yea, but from what I hear, it sure as hell wasn’t a love bite. I heard he took a chunk from your shoulder like a damn walker.” Beth had to laugh at that. That bit of gossip probably originated from Cell Block D after Zach had given his side of the story thinking she’d been bit.

“No, just a little rough…love is all.” Beth returned her gaze to the fence and shoved her own weapon through the face of a young woman.

“So why do you want to tell me. What do you hope to accomplish with this?” Sasha was very perceptive.

“The way I see it, he doesn’t want anybody knowing, thinking they’ll turn on him. If I stack the deck, so to speak, Maggie won’t have anybody but Glenn on her side and even then I don’t think Glenn would want to go against…my guy. They’ve been together since the start of all this.” Sasha turned to look at the blond with wide eyes.

“Is it Rick?” That caught Beth off guard.

“What makes you think that?” Sasha shook her head.

“Well the way I see it, if _your guy_ has been with Glenn since the start, and it’s _not_ Glenn, that only leaves Rick and Daryl. Rick has a lot to lose if this gets out. His age, he’s already got two kids. God, how’re you gonna deal with Carl? He’s had a crush on you and you’re bumping uglies with his _dad_!” Beth let out a laugh.

“God no! I’m not…bumping _anything_ with Rick.”

Sasha’s mouth parted, “It’s Daryl?” Beth could only nod. “But he’s… _old_.”

“He’s not that old!” She speared a walker harshly, ending it’s reanimation.

“Older than you! How can your Daddy not have a problem with that?” Watching the blond shrug her shoulder she waited for a better answer.

“Did you know that my Daddy was _twenty years_ older than my momma? I think it’s cause he knows that age is just a number when it comes to somebody you love.”

“Do you love Daryl?” Sasha pressed her for answers.

“I don’t know. I know that I like being around him, and I hate that we have to hide what we’re doing. I hate that Maggie gets to prance around with Glenn while I have to walk on eggshells.” Beth let out an angry huff of air.

“You could just tell her it’s Daryl, what’s the worse that she can do?” Sasha didn’t understand what was going on between the two sisters.

“She has Daryl scared.” Sasha let out a loud laugh at that. “It’s true! He thinks that she will get everyone to turn against him somehow and I wanna make sure that doesn’t happen. He said if he knew everyone wouldn’t make a big deal it’d be easier to go public.”

“I guess. I don’t think it’s any of my business who you mess around with. So why’re you coming to me? You gonna to talk to everyone in the prison?” Beth shook her head.

“Just the major players, I know that you go on runs, and people listen when you speak. I’ve still gotta talk to your brother, Carol, and Rick. I don’t know whether or not to tell Glenn, he has a big mouth.” She kicked the dirt with her boot remembering him blabbering about the walkers in their barn, even the promise of getting laid hadn’t stopped him from telling.

“Well, what about Michonne, sure she comes and goes, but she’s a good person to have in your corner.”

“She already knows,” Beth looked sheepish admitting this.

“Really? And she didn’t kick that red necks ass?” Beth shook her head, she knew Michonne had played a part in getting her and Daryl together that night in the showers.

“Nah, you could even say she gave us a push in the right direction.” Sasha looked at her incredulously.

“Guess you’ve got your bases covered girl. I’ll talk to Tyreese for you, I don’t think he’s gonna have a problem with it.”

Nodding to each other the girls got back to work clearing the fences quietly.

“So Beth…how’s Daryl in the sack?” Giggling the girls worked in hushed whispers as Beth dished about the many talents Daryl possessed.

                As the girls finished up they looked out and saw Michonne approaching quickly on foot, sword drawn, dispatching any walkers who got too close. They ran to the gate and pulled the fence open so she could make her way into the safety of the prison.

“How’d it go out there?” Asked Sasha, looking for any scrapes or marks that the older woman might have gotten while on the outside.

“It went alright, no sign of the son of a bitch, but I know he’s out there.” They nodded their heads, everyone hoped that the Governor had turned tail and cut his loses but deep down, they knew better than that.

“I’m gonna go find Tyreese, see you guys later.” With that Sasha turned to leave the two alone, walking slowly up the dirt path that led to the cells.

“Got what you need.” They didn’t look at each other as they continued on. “Also found a pack of condoms you can have, but after this, it’s up to Daryl to fight Glenn for these things. I swear…the world ends you’d think food would be a priority, but no, it’s condoms.” Beth gave a chuckle at that. She’d heard stories of Glenn tearing through the stores and houses looking for the foil packages, he was like a squirrel saving up for winter when it came to them.

“I appreciate this, I know what you went through to get me the test. I swear I’ll make it up to you!” The dark haired woman shook her head.

“First you gotta pass the test…or fail it before you can even think about starting to make it up to me. Use your head from now on. Lord knows Daryl ain’t been using the right one!” Once they entered the walls they made their way together to library, using the single stall within it to maintain privacy. Beth’s knee was bouncing as they waited the three minutes the box said that they needed for an accurate reading. When she brought the stick up to read it she let out a cry making the dreaded woman grab her hand and look at it. With a smile on her face she shook her head, “I’ll be damned.”

               Walking away she left Beth alone to gather her thoughts, she knew this was an eye opening experience for her. As she walked to her cell she noticed Daryl sitting next to Hershel on his cot, it didn’t look like Daryl was doing much talking as he listened to the words pouring from the older man’s mouth. He looked up and caught her eye and she grinned when she saw the look on his face, she knew that look, she’d seen in when her brother had laid down the law with her…she shook her head trying to shake the memories. No, she wouldn’t think about that.

                It had taken all his strength for Daryl to finally go to Hershel and tell him about his…relationship with his youngest. He hadn’t known what to expect and was surprised when he didn’t have to do much talking. He had caught the man reading and when he looked up a grin formed on the man’s face as he bookmarked his page and told him to have a seat.

“I sure am glad to see you son, I was beginning to think Beth hadn’t passed along my message.” Daryl frowned, was that a jab at how long it’d taken him to man up? “I’ve got some words for you but first I need to ask ya some things.” Nodding his head Daryl waited. “What makes you think that you’re good enough for my baby girl?”

                He stayed quiet, not knowing how to answer that. Looking up, he tried to read Hershel’s face but was unsuccessful. “I want an honest answer from you. If you’re gonna be with my girl, I gotta know this.” Daryl trembled under his gaze before he spoke.

“I ain’t.” If the man wanted honesty, he was going to give it to him. “I ain’t good enough fer yer daughter.”

“That’s the dumbest answer ya could’ve given son!” Hershel gazed at him. “What makes ya think that?”

“You wanted the truth an’ that’s it. She’s too good fer me. I ain’t never been with nobody like her, she’s…Beth’s…” He trailed off, he didn’t know how to describe her.

“She’s somthin’ else ain’t she? Takes after her momma…in more ways than one, I can tell you that!”  He gave a hearty chuckle as confusion etched its way on Daryl’s face. “They say a girl’ll find somebody like ‘er Daddy to marry and she’s done just that!”

“So you’re sayin’ Maggie’s dad is really Korean?” He smirked when he got another chuckle.

“No, I’m sayin’ that we’re more alike than ya think son.” He couldn’t believe that, Hershel was the epitome of fatherhood, a good and honest man, hardworking, he was everything Daryl could only hope to be.

“Now quit thinkin’ an’ listen to me! It’s true. I wasn’t always the man you see before you, son. I was young once, stupid, an’ I did a lot of things I ain’t proud of, but I changed, an’ I see you doin’ the same. I’m not gonna tell you I’m over the moon that we share a rough past, but it’s the fact that that’s no longer who you are that don’t have me shootin’ yer ass!” Daryl just nodded his head, looking up, he saw Michonne pass with a grin and shook his head at her. “I took to the bottle after Maggie’s ma passed, God rest her soul, an’ I left my lil girl alone to take care of my son, I left them alone at  home to fend fer themselves. They should’ve never had to go through that, but I put them through it, I put her through it…Then along came Annette…lord help me she was an angel that woman. Saved my soul from the Devil himself…She knew I had been recently widowed, seen me out at the bar runnin’ up my tab every night.” He shook his head at the memory, “I’ll have you know, she dragged me outta the bar and tanned my hide all the way home. Walked with me all the way, swearin’ up an’ down how I was a no good, piss poor excuse of a man. An’ she was right Daryl, I was. But she changed all that. Sobered me up, took care o’ the kids while I detoxed. I grew to love her an’ when I tried to push her away, she held firm.”

                He knew what Hershel was talking about, Beth had done the same, knowing when to push and when to let something slide. He’d felt her hands on his back in the tower, knew she’d felt the raised skin beneath her fingers, yet she’d never asked him to explain, asked to see what lay under his shirt. By her accepting it without question, she’d accepted him the same way and he was grateful for that.

“When a woman like Annette…like Beth…when they love you…don’t question it…don’t try to figure out some ulterior motive, cause whatever you think it is, it really ain’t…Women like them…they love unconditionally, without expectations…but son…they’re easy to hurt. An’ if you hurt my lil girl…I’m gonna hurt you. Understand?”

               Daryl looked at this man who was consenting to him being with his daughter with wide eyes. If he ever did anything to hurt Beth…he would deserve every bit of pain her Daddy rained down upon him.

“Ain’t you gonna tell me I’m too old for her?”

“Don’ make me laugh! I had twenty three years on Annette, talk of the town for a while, bein’ a cradle robber an’ what not.” He scratched the scruff of his beard as he remembered. “As far as I see, you’re old enough to be my son, Beth is my daughter, it’s alright in my book.”

“I don’ really know wha’ I expected when I first came in here to talk to ya…but this sure as hell wasn’t it.”

“All I ask is that you do right by my girl. Whatever you two got goin’ on, love, lust, whatever….as long as you two are consenting and know what yer getting yerselves into, I’m just here to give you advice when you want it.”

“What about Maggie?” Daryl had to ask, if Hershel had no problem, how did he feel about Maggie raisin’ hell over it?

“You’re with Maggie too? Well that’s a whole other can of worms…” He glanced at Daryl through the corner of his eye and saw him begin to sweat up a storm.

“It ain’ like that!”

“Son, it’s just a joke. Learn to laugh, it’ll be good for you, won’t make you look so old.” He gave the young man a wink. “I can’t make Maggie accept anythin’ she don’t want to, she got her stubbornness from her ma. But it might help if next time you…how did Beth put it…’Get a lil out of hand’? Don’t leave a damn bite mark on her neck for the world to see!” Daryl smirked at that. “If you want everyone to know she’s yours put a ring on her finger.” His face fell and he sputtered.

“Yes, sir.” Damn, how did he go from a thirty five year old man to a fuckin’ sixteen year ol’ punk ass kid so quick?

“Daryl, go on, do what you gotta do, I’ve said my peace.” He opened his book to the marked page and just like that their talk was over.

               Daryl made his way up to his cell mind reeling from his talk. He picked up his bow, testing its weight in his hand, he needed to clear his head, a hunting trip was just the thing to help him work all this out. Releasing a breath of air, he set his weapon down before picking up his pack. He hadn’t cleaned it out since his last trip and if he was going to take a couple days, he’d need to make sure he had everything he needed.

“Whatcha doin’?” He hadn’t heard Beth climb the stairs and turned around surprised to see her in his doorway.

“Packin’.” He grunted before turning back around, dumping everything onto his cot. Dirty clothes he threw into a pile to be washed later, trash just thrown to the ground. “What’ve you been up to?” He asked without looking.

“I’ve been working on some things…” She trailed off.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you mind…just concentrate on being you and everything will be alright.” She watched as he paused stuffing, what she assumed were clean clothes into his pack.

“You really think so?” He turned to watch her over his shoulder. She nodded.

“You just need to have a little faith.” Another grunt and he turned back around and continued his work. She took two steps towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist in an embrace.

“How long are you gonna be gone?” She kept her voice low as she felt him moving, he didn’t stop checking that everything he needed for his trip was packed.

“Dunno,” He shoved a flannel shirt with its sleeves still on deep into the bag in case the nights dipped in temperature. “Wanna bag somethin’ big…maybe couple o’ days.”

Beth’s hand slipped under his shirt and her fingers played with the hair on his stomach that led down to the waistband of his pants. “I’m gonna miss you.” She placed a kiss on one of the wings of his vest. “Are you gonna miss me Daryl?”

                She felt him stiffen in her arms as her hand dipped below the band of his pants as her hand gripped his hardening shaft. A grunt was his only reply and she squeezed him in her hand, “You gonna miss how I feel?” Stroking him was difficult so with her free hand she popped open the button of his jeans and eased down the zipper slowly before resuming her strokes. He gripped her wrist to stop her motions.

“Yer gonna get us caught.”  He couldn’t see the smile on her face as her hand rubbed circles on his stomach, lightly trailing his happy trail.

“The only way we’re gonna get caught is if you get too loud. We’re the only ones in here besides Daddy an’ Michonne, they won’t come up unless you do somethin’ to make them wanna.” His grip loosened as he gave her to go ahead to work him over.

               She loved how he felt in her hand, thick and throbbing with need, the silky skin beneath her hand. Sweeping her thumb over his weeping tip she heard him hiss as she smeared his precum across his cocks head.

“Do you like that Daryl? Do you like my hand down your pants….touchin’ your cock…” Pumping him in her tiny fist he slowed down to a torturous pace. Daryl didn’t know where this was coming from. Beth never spoke like this before without him starting it, and it was a turn on to hear the dirty words spill from her angelic lips. He had to admit, her hand felt so much better than his calloused one.

“Or do you wish it were my mouth on ya?” Beth swallowed thickly, her arousal was thick but she wanted this to be about him. “My lips stretched over your big dick…you know you’ve got a big cock…can’t hardly take all of ya in my mouth…do ya like it when you fuck my throat Daryl.” He let out a low whine and it was the first time since they’d been like this that she’d heard him make a noise like that. With Daryl in her hand, thrusting into her fist, she felt powerful, in control. This man, who everyone looked up to, was putty in her hands and she was the cause.

She breathed in his scent and sped up her strokes, tugging gently at his swollen girth. Daryl’s head was swimming, he liked seeing this side of Beth and the thought of her riding him, bouncing up and down on his lap while using him for her own pleasure caused his cock to twitch in her hand.

“Whatcha thinking Daryl?” When he didn’t respond she stopped her movements and he groaned in frustration.

“Shh…gotta keep quiet. Now tell me…what were you thinking?”

“Bout you…riding me…my dick buried deep in yer wet pussy….Yet tits bouncin’ as you fuck me.” Beth felt a throb between her legs but ignored it, this wasn’t about her.

“Yea?” She traced her finger up and down his shaft, it wasn’t enough for him and he pushed his jeans down before taking her hand in his and they stroked him together. “You wanna fuck me Daryl…is my pussy tight for you?”

Sweat was forming on his brow and he grit his teeth together not wanting to make any noise.

“Tightest pussy I’ve ever had…ya fit like a glove…an’ fuck me… yer lil pussy gets so fuckin’ wet!” It was Beth’s turn to bite back a groan, he knew how to get her going. “Am I gonna get to fuck ya Beth? Am I gonna get to make ya cum all over me?” A shiver ran through her and she knew she wasn’t going to be able to go without cumming too. A thought ran through her head and a grin stretched across her face. Pulling her hand free of his she stepped out in front of him and looked up into his lust filled blue eyes.

“Daryl, I want you to fuck me…” Bringing his hand to her lips she drew his fingers into her mouth and sucked on them, nipping the pads when she pulled them free. “Not my mouth…” Together they ran their hands down her torso, across the mounds of her breasts and down to her jean clad pussy. “Not there either…” A frown formed on his face, what was she getting at? When she turned in his arms and ground her ass against him realization sunk in.

“Nah girl...as much as I wan’ to…gotta keep quiet.” She looked up at him, “I’ll be quiet…I’ll even let you shove my panties in my mouth…” His eyes widened as he remembered back to their first encounter and how had wanted to do just that. Crashing his lips to hers he dominated her, taking her tongue into his mouth he swept his across hers and pulled her into a primal dance. Pulling away they were both panting. “Ya sure ya can keep quiet?”

               When she nodded her head he hastily kicked off his boots and shucked his pants off before ripping hers from her body, surprised he managed to pull them over her shoes that were still on. He wanted this, he’d known less than a handful of girls who’d let him fuck them like this, and they’d all been three sheets to the wind when it happened. Beth had given him a gift and he was going make sure she didn’t regret this. Hand drifting over her panties he saw them soaked through, making the cotton material almost transparent, she wanted this almost as much as he did.

               Sitting on his cot he pulled her into his lap grinding himself into her panty clad pussy. Biting into the leather of his vest Beth did her best to keep quiet, she didn’t want them caught, she didn’t want his to stop. Pulling the white cotton off her, he thrust into her, knowing she was slick and moist enough to take him fully. Contracting around him she had to admit that this was one of the greatest feelings she’d ever experienced, with him filling her to the hilt she felt full and complete.

“Gonna make you cum…get yer juices all over my cock before I take yer tight lil ass…you gonna like that? Me fuckin’ yer tight hole?” Beth only nodded, her lip caught between her teeth as she fought back the moans as his hands bounced her up and down on his dick. He licked the expanse of her neck, eyes catching the fading bruise that was still there. He could feel her already tightening around him and was surprised that she had been so close, he hadn’t touched her and knew that she hadn’t been fingering herself.

“Does my girl get off on hearin’ me talk? Hearin’ me say I’m gonna fuck ya till ya can’t walk straight?” When she clenched around him he knew the truth and wondered if he’d ever be able to get her off with his words alone. “That’s it girl…cum on me…cum all over my dick…get it nice an’ wet fer me…I’m gonna stretch ya out so good girl…” Their heavy breathing filled the cell and he watched as she slipped her hand under her shirt to play with her nipples. “Aw…is my baby needin’ more?” Nodding harshly he slipped his hand between them and rubbed her clit giving her what she craved.

                Her jaw dropped open in a silent scream and her body bowed beneath his hands as she contracted around him, he took this as his moment and while she was blissfully unaware pulled from her pussy and slid into her tight ass, pausing when he had fully situated himself in her. He could feel her continue to clench around him as the final waves of her orgasm spasmed through her body. As he thrust into her tight hole she let out a moan and he cursed, grasping down for her panties picking them off the floor he took great pleasure in demanding that she open her mouth so he could gag her with them.

               She had goose bumps break out across her arms at the feeling of him in her taboo area, girls had always told Beth to _never_ do this, it was too painful and would only be pleasurable for the guy. Oh how wrong they were, as he set a steady pace of thrusting in and out of her she felt a different kind of pleasure bolt through her. It wasn’t a direct pleasure like when Daryl rubbed her clit, or fucked her aching pussy, no, this pleasure was one she derived directly from Daryl. Seeing his face screwed in absolute pleasure, hearing him pant distorted words of praise into her ear, hearing him tell her no other woman would make him feel the way she could…that brought her higher than anything else before.

                Daryl was on cloud nine, thrusting into her he saw her watching him through her lashes while moaning around the panties he had shoved in her mouth. She was something out of one of those magazines he’d found lying around his brothers trashed room when he’d taken off to basic training.

“Can ya taste yer pussy juice? Sweetest damn thing left in this world…love the way ya taste.”

He snapped his jaw tight when he felt the familiar pull of an approaching orgasm. Gripping her waist he let himself loose, snapping his hips into her at a brutal pace to reach his end. He groaned as he felt himself cum deep within her and rested his head against her chest while he waited for his breathing to return to normal. When he felt he had composed himself as best he could, he pulled from her with a grunt before pulling her panties from her mouth.

“’m gonna take these with me.”

Laughing she looked at him, “’Cause your gonna miss me?”

He pulled her into a tight embrace, though Daryl couldn’t find the words to tell her, Beth knew that she would be missed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down, seven more to go! Let me know what you think, I’m getting back in the saddle with the smut and there’ll be more to come in chapter nine. As always, thank you for reading and let me know if you catch any mistakes. I enjoy reading your reviews, so don’t be a stranger and let me know what you think!


	9. Ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry! I thought that having a break from school would give me more time to write but that wasn’t the case. When I logged on to check my account I couldn’t believe that almost two weeks had passed and I hadn’t updated! I feel so bad for being MIA but life has a tendency of getting in the way. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Ready**

     Daryl had been gone for two days and Beth was going crazy with worry, in reality she knew it would take him time to track and kill his prey before lugging it back from wherever he’d managed to find it. That didn’t stop the different scenarios from playing out in her head though, what if he fell down a ravine like he had back on the farm? What if the Governor had found him and killed him, they’d never know what happened to him unless they found his reanimated body wandering the woods. Beth shook her head free of those thoughts, Daryl was better than that, he was a survivor and he’d be the last man standing, she knew out of everyone he’d be the one at the end, thriving.

“You ready to start?” Michonne interrupted her thoughts and Beth grabbed the water canteen, excited that she was finally going to be able to start her training. She was led through the halls of the prison and they made their way down to the fence line, waving to Carl and Rick as they passed the two who were weeding the garden.

“You know you an’ Dixon got lucky, right?” The older woman looked down at the blond as they walked.

“Yea,” Beth nodded in agreement, “But I’m not gonna risk it anymore, I still can’t believe it. I owe you a lot Michonne…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” She shook off the blondes’ words. “Ya know I really thought I’d be seein’ a crossbow wieldin’ brat runnin’ around here the way you two were goin’ at it.”

     Beth had to laugh at the idea of a little baby born destined to wield a crossbow just like his father. But it made her wonder, what if she had been pregnant, what would the child have looked like, blue eyes and dark hair? Or would he have gotten her blonde hair? What if they had a little girl? And Daryl…she had to pause at the thought of Daryl finding out she was pregnant. She knew how he was with Judith, his Lil Ass Kicker. Would he bestow a similar moniker on their own child? Did he even want kids of his own? These were things normal couples talked about and she wondered if she’d be able to bring the subject up with him or if he’d just clam up on her like he was prone to do.

“So what’re we doin’ at the fence? I already know how to kill walkers, it’s gotta be the head.” Michonne just shook her head and led the girl down the fenced pathway looking over the walkers that were there. She stopped them in front of a severely decaying man, his jaw was hanging by the flesh that looked like it would give way at any moment.

“Look at this one, you can tell he’s been gone for a long time. Rotting from the inside out. I want you to kill it.” Beth gripped the metal rod in her hand and roughly thrust it into the head of the walker before pulling back and looking at Michonne who was shaking her head at her.

“What?” She wanted to know what the other woman was thinking. She had killed the walker just like she’d asked her too, what had she done wrong? They took a couple steps down before stopping in front of another walker. This time it was a woman who couldn’t have been changed for too long, her skin was a dull grey and the only thing that really gave away her status as a walker was the chunk missing from her arm.

“Kill this one.” Michonne told her. Again Beth lifted her rod and roughly thrust it into the walkers head, shaking the rod free before it dropped to the ground.

“What was the difference?” The dreaded woman asked Beth.

Beth paused and thought about what was being asked of her. “It was easier the first time…to get the rod in and out of its head, I had trouble with this one,” She motioned to the walker that was collapsed in front of them. “Getting it out, it felt like it was stuck a little.”

“Good, when you see a walker you need to _think_. Look at them, think ‘bout how long they’ve been turned, the older ones are fallin’ apart. Don’t take much to drop ‘em. But the fresher ones…you jus’ saw how it is. Their bones ain’ gone soft yet, takes more to pierce through the skull and it can be harder to pull your weapon from them. You _never_ wanna lose your weapon when you’re out there.” Beth understood what Michonne was telling her, she had felt the difference between the two kills and what she was telling her made sense.

“When you killed the first one, you put a lot of energy into it. You don’ have to put so much force behind it with the older ones. I want you to clear the fence line, get a feel for how much thrust ya actually need to get ‘em to drop, look at them, take in their appearance, I want ya to train your mind to automatically know what it’ll take to take ‘em down.”

“Got it!”

     They spent a good two hours under the hot sun and Beth had been corrected quickly by Michonne when she used too much force, causing the weapon to spear the head of a fresh walker completely. She had been proud until she was unable to get the metal rod from the walker and Michonne tsked before wiggling it free, the sickening sound of bone crunching and the slurp of brain juice as it was pulled free was almost enough to make Beth sick. After being chastised for her over enthusiastic kill, Beth continued, committing the movement of her muscles to memory. As they reached the end of the fence Beth felt her muscles stiff and sore, she’d cleared the fence before, but this time she’d done it alone and had used muscles she never knew she had before.

     They were going to pick up a couple stragglers that had wandered up when they heard Carl yelling as he made his way to the opening gate, his dad hot on his heels. A large smile broke out across her face when she saw Daryl and trailing behind him on a rope was a brown horse, for the first time in a long time Beth felt giddy at the thought of having a horse around. She missed Nelly and often found herself thinking about what became of her mare. When she turned to look at Michonne, silently asking permission to go see Daryl and his catch, she nodded and the excited teen took off to join the small group that had surrounded Daryl and the horse.

     After a quick hello to Daryl she set her sights on the brown mare. _She was beautiful_ thought Beth as she snatched the rope from Daryl’s grasp. She was a chocolate color and had a star and strip running across her face, looking to her ears she saw them forward and alert. Tentatively she approached, talking in a low calm voice before reaching out her hand to his snout, she prayed that the smell of sweat and walker residue wouldn’t startle her. Beth felt the hot air puff from the animals nose and her fingers met with the soft snout of the animal, a smile broke across her face, she stepped off to the side and scratched her neck, enjoying the feeling beneath her fingers.

“Looks like we have a horse whisperer in our midst!” Rick said earning a chuckle from the group. “Where did ya find ‘im?”

“Was trackin’ a hog when I came to an area in the woods, found ‘im rootin’ ‘round a raspberry bush. Thought we could use ‘im.” Daryl said messing with the strap to his crossbow that was across his chest, he didn’t like being in front of all these people, especially the newer ones.

“ _Her_ , she’s a girl.” Beth patted the horses’ neck and took a step away from the mare, playing with the frayed edges of the rope.

“Yea well, cause of _her_ I had to stop trackin’ the hog. Couldn’t hunt wit’ ‘er, too much noise. I bagged a couple squirrel an’ some rabbit,” He held up a bag to show his catch. “If need be, we can always put a bullet in the thing…Never had horse ‘fore but it can’t be too bad, right?” He smirked when Beth let out a tiny shriek and punched his shoulder catching him by surprise.

“Wha’s tha’ for?” She glared at him as she stepped in front of the oblivious horse.

“You can’t just kill her!”

“Meat’s meat Blondie.” He told her with a grin. Beth was about to yell at him but Rick stepped in between the two before it could escalate.

“Ya did good Daryl, a horse can come in handy. Quiet transportation, can outrun the walkers an’ go places our vehicles can’t. We’ll keep her away from the fence most of the time, an’ let her wonder the yard to graze. But as soon as she gets into the garden she’s dinner Beth!” Her glare quickly turned to Rick and he let out a chuckle.

     The group that had gathered quickly dissipated as the people thanked Daryl for what he managed to bring back and took his catch from him to clean for dinner. Patrick, a tall gangly teen shadowed Daryl up to the prison, talking to him and thanking him profusely for providing for everyone. Beth grinned as she watched Daryl try to shrug off his new shadow before giving up and tuned him out while eating a plate he got from Carol.

Beth shook her head and turned to Michonne who was standing next to her. “Are we done for today?”

“Yea, get somethin’ to eat, maybe a shower, ya stink.”

“Rick, where do I put her?” She held up the rope to convey her point.

“I’ll take ‘er, let ‘er get used to the yard.” With that Rick took the rope from Beth and led the horse towards the grassy yard.

     She thanked him before heading towards the shaded pavilion that had been set up. As she approached she saw a group of woman looking at Daryl, they would giggle before talking in hushed whispers. It seemed that Daryl had more than Patrick as a fan, jealousy churned within her stomach and she frowned looking away. If those women only knew Daryl was Beth’s secret lover maybe they wouldn’t be undressing him with their eyes like they were. She watched as Daryl stood up abruptly, apparently tired of Patrick’s company.

“Gonna go wash up,” When the boy stood Daryl turned to him, “Alone! I’m gonna go wash up _alone_.”

     Having lost her appetite Beth stalked her prey as he made his way to his cell to drop off this things from his run and get a fresh set of clothes. She watched as he descended the stairs and walked off to the showers. Going to her own cell she grabbed some clothes and tore open the box that Michonne had given her and grabbed one of the foil packages before shoving the rest into the hollowed out Bible to join her hidden cigarette case.

     She was nervous, this would be the first time that they’d be together in the showers since the debacle weeks before. She had felt the raised skin the rainy night in the guard tower and knew that something awful lay beneath the shirts he constantly wore to conceal his back, would today be the day that she finally got a look at the scars he hid? Biting her lip she weighed the pros and cons of entering the showers, hearing the water running she made her decision. Quietly she made her way towards Daryl making sure to set her things next to his. As she watched him he appeared to be lost in his thoughts, the water rained down on him as he lathered his washcloth with soap.

     While watching him Beth noiselessly undressed, taking her time to make as little sound as possible. She studied the way that he moved, if she didn’t know any better she would have thought he knew she was spying on him, the way he ran the cloth across his skin was almost seductive. When she took the time to take in his back it was a painful sight, the skin was healed, the scars white and faded. In her head she had pictured angry red scars that would jump out at her, but these scars were old. That’s what struck Beth. The scars had had time to heal, they had time to go from gashes to the white marks that were before her, the process would have taken years meaning that it was during his childhood he had received them.

     Her approach was tentative, she knew that when he found out that she’d seen his back he would try to push her away, but she wasn’t going to let him. Reaching out a hand she let her fingers ghost over his shoulder. Daryl jumped in surprise and turned, he was expecting to see Patrick, _that boy needs to learn about boundaries_ , he thought to himself. When he saw Beth’s blue eyes looking up at him he froze.

“Wha’ the hell do ya think you’re doin’?” His jaw ticked as she grabbed the sudsy cloth from his hands. She pushed on his shoulders to turn him back around but he wouldn’t budge for her.

“I asked ya a question. Why the hell are ya in here?” His voice was loud and demanding.

“I missed you. Can’t I come see my boy...” Beth paused. It seemed silly to call Daryl her boyfriend, there was _nothing_ boyish about him. “I wanted to see how my _man_ was doin’ after bein’ gone.” He shirked away from her hands as she went to turn him again. “Let me get your back Daryl, I know ya can’t reach it yourself an’ I wanna help.”

“So tha’s yer game is it?” His eyes glared daggers at her. “Ya didn’t get a good ‘nough look, ya wanna see them up close?” His tone was cold and it hurt Beth that Daryl would think so little of her.

“Daryl!” She put all her strength into turn him and to her surprise he let her.

“There ya go, take a good ‘ard look at ‘em! Do ya like wha’ ya see huh? Do ya li-”

“Shut up!” She have him a small shove that did nothing but cause him to sway slightly. “All I want is give you a hand washin’ up, maybe I was hopin’ that you’d return the favor...I’m not asking for anythin’ except maybe that you’d trust me! I want you to trust that I’m not going to judge you! Daryl,” his teeth were clenched as he listed to her speak. “What I see, it doesn’t change what I think about you…I want you to believe in me, believe that I would never do anythin’ to hurt you.”

     She ran the washcloth over the expanse of his back, the silence between them was deafening and Beth chewed on her bottom lip, the only noise was the sound of water hitting the tiled floor. She washed his shoulders and back, pushing him to step into the spray so she could rinse off the suds.

“Trade ya spots?” Beth asked, wanting to wash off the dirt and grime of the day. Without a word Daryl stepped back, allowing her to step into the cool spray. As she began the task of washing herself she glanced behind her and saw that he was still there, unmoving, she didn’t know whether or not that was a good sign.

“Could you get my back for me?” She asked over her shoulder, holding up the dripping washrag. He took it from her wordlessly and proceeded to scrub her down, not taking his time like he once had before.

“Are we ok? I don’t want things to get… _off_ between us.” She turned around to face him head on determined to get a straight answer out of him.

“I told ya, I ain’t good at this shit.” He wasn’t looking at her so she grabbed him by the scruff of his chin and pulled his gaze down to meet her.

“And I told you, we can figure this out together.” Her eyes searched his for any trace of what he was thinking but got nothing. “I don’t know what you think I see when I look at you Daryl, so let me tell you.” Her hands drifted down to his torso where the scar from his fall of the ravine was. “When I see this, I see a man who turned the world upside down lookin’ for a little girl.”

“I didn’ find ‘er, I didn’-” He had cut her off and she did the same.

“No, you didn’t Daryl. But if she had been out there, there is no doubt in my mind that you would have.” Tracing her hands down to his own she twined their fingers together. “You provide so much for this group, food, weapons, protection. When you have me in your hands…in _these hands_ ,” Her grip tightened around his hands, “I know that I’m safe with you…” Beth let a hand trail back up to gently cup his face. “When I see your face…I see somebody I care about. Somebody who feels the need to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders an’…Daryl, you are so much more than you think you are. I don’t know why you don’t see that. When I saw your back, it hurts to see, to think what happened, but that _doesn’t_ change anythin’ I think or feel about you. I don’ want you to feel obligated to tell me anythin’ you don’t want to.”

     Daryl thought about what she had said, all his life he had been looked down on. Everyone in his hometown had called him no good, even his family had always belittled him and told him he would never amount to anything. For this woman to tell him that he was worth something, he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Beth knew that she had given him enough to think about, he wasn’t a talker and when he finally decided to open up to her, she’d be ready

“So…a horse…that’s a good find.” The air between them was thick with tension and she felt the need to change subjects in hopes of lightening the mood.

“Yea…figured you’d get a kick out o’ ‘im.” She didn’t bother to correct him on the gender of the mare.

“For me?” Her voice was light and teasing as she began rinsing the suds out, “Is anal really _so_ good that you brought me a horse?”

He looked over his shoulder and her and grinned. “Figured ya’d reward me fer bein’ a good boy.”

“A good boy huh?” She reached down his body to grab his hardening member. “I don’t think a good boy would threaten to _shoot_ my new horse Daryl.” She bit down hard on his chest earning a sharp hiss from him.

“I actually think you’ve been a _very_ bad boy, an’ bad boys get _punished_ …isn’t that right Daryl?” Beth looked up at him and she could see the wheels in his head turning.

“You really think yer gonna punish me?” Beth knew she wouldn’t be able to do anything to Daryl that he didn’t want her to, and he could end their little game before it even began.

“You’re not the only one who gets to dole out lessons, you threatened to shoot my horse and you took my panties when you left on your hunt!”

“First off, the horse belongs to the group, jus’ thought ya’d like to see ‘im. Second, I did take yer panties, _after_ ya let me. Way I see it, I didn’ do nothin’ wrong.”

Beth frowned, everything he said was true. While she knew she’d end up taking care of the horse, in the end it belonged to the group, and she while she hadn’t told him he _could_ take her panties, she hadn’t told him no either. He turned off the spray and tilted her chin up to face him.

“If ya _want_ I could be a bad boy for ya...let ya get whatever it is runnin’ ‘round that head o’ yers out.” He blue eyes flew to his and she matched his grin with her own.

“Ok.”

            With her answer voiced he crashed his lips to hers and drew a moan from her throat. Her fingers grasped onto his wet hair and her nails scraped his scalp drawing a groan from him. The kiss was hot and needy, tongues battled for dominance though they both knew Daryl would end up taking control, it was only a matter of time. As their kiss continued, neither one backing down, Daryl let his hands wonder down her body, one stopping to play with her rosebud nipples, the other continued its journey south, towards her damp blond curls.

            Beth let out a sigh as his fingers parted her folds and found her slick entrance, teasing her clit with light strokes. When he dipped in a couple of his fingers in and swore, she was always so wet for him it amazed him. She lifted her leg over his hip to give him better access to her dripping pussy, he helped her out by grasping her thigh and holding it in place. His fingers searched her clamping walls for the rough patch of tissue that he knew would have her knees buckling and nipped at her bottom lip when he found it. Beth let her head fell back as pleasure coursed through every fiber of her being, how he managed to always put her in this state baffled her, but she wasn’t going to complain.

            Daryl felt her body tighten in his arms and pulled his lips from hers, he continued his assault on her channel with his fingers, his thumb running tight circles over her swollen clit. His teeth tugged gently on the lobe of her ear and he felt a shiver run down her back.

“Ya like tha’ Beth? Ya like my fingers fuckin’ ya?” Daryl knew she loved it when he talked to her like this. “Wanna know how I _know_ yer lovin’ it?”

“Uh huh.” She panted out.

“’Cause yer drippin’ all over my hand.” He pulled his hand away from her earning a pitiful whimper as he held it up in front of them, her juices coating it. “See how wet ya are?”

     He traced his wet fingers over her lips and moaned as he watched her take them into her mouth. Her eyes closed as she _really_ tasted herself for the first time, she allowed her tongue to swirl over his digits and she released them with a pop, licking her lips as she watched his face. Daryl swore as he felt a rush of blood head to his already hard member, he couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed. His hand grasped the back of her head as he brought her lips to his once more, tongue searching to find her taste on her tongue.

     Daryl let his arm snake down her body once more and his fingers sought the hot grip of her snug walls. He set a frantic pace, his fingers pounding into her, rubbing along her walls causing her to groan in need. Her hips bucked to meet his fingers, searching for the release she needed. He felt her clench tightly around him and knew she was close to reaching her peak. Beth had her eyes clenched shut as her teeth ground together, her hips were moving on their own as she struggled to reach her orgasm. When she felt Daryl curl his fingers along the wall her legs gave out and he had to hold her up, his fingers never slowing their pace.

“Ya gonna cum Beth?” She nodded her head frantically, words escaping her. She felt wave after wave of pleasure crashing down upon her and in a sick twist of déjà vu she felt Daryl pull away from her as her body continued to thrum with need.

“What the hell?” She was panting, her glazed eyes looking at him for answers.

“Ya said ya wanted me to be a bad boy, there ya go.” She watched as he wiped her juices along his shaft.

“There’s a difference between bein’ bad and torturin’ somebody Daryl!”

     He was about to respond but was stopped short when she dropped to her knees and engulfed his aching cock with her mouth. He swore up and down at the feeling of her lips wrapped around him as his tip hit the back of her throat. Beth let her hands rest on his thighs as she tried her best to breathe through her nose as she buried herself in his dark curls at the base of his shaft. Pulling back she set a steady pace, using one of her hands to cup and massage his sac.

     Daryl didn’t know what to make of this, he knew she’d be pissed but getting a blowjob was not the response he thought he was going to get. He let out a guttural moan as her teeth scraped along his member, he looked down at her, a little fear showing in his eyes.

“Beth…” his voice was husky as he tried to pull her lips from himself. “Ya ain’ gonna bite are ya?” She pulled back with a laugh, wiping her wet lips before responding with a quick shake of her head and engulfed him once more.

     He let himself relax and enjoy the feel of her again. He let his hand twine into her hair as he bobbed her along his thick cock, enjoying the sight of himself disappearing into her lips. His breathing began to pick up as he felt the familiar pull in his gut that ran down to his sac.

“Gonna cum Beth,” He warned her with a grunt as he pushed her down onto him. Beth gripped his thighs harder as she had to force her head back while his hand tried to keep her in place. Daryl felt his balls tighten and relax as Beth pulled away from him and groaned.

“God damn! Beth-” She cut him off.

“Now you know how I feel…wouldn’t be much of a punishment if I let you cum now would it?”

     Looking up at him she saw his brow furrowed in frustration as he panted with the all too familiar need of satisfaction. She stayed on her knees, reaching out her small hand to grasp his hard dick. Running her hand slowly up and down along him, she let out a huff of air, he felt harder than she had ever remembered him being, the vein that ran down shaft was visible and Beth let her finger trace its way down. Daryl was painfully hard, he thrust his hips forward towards Beth in a silent plea of mercy.

     He was relieved when she grasped him fully again and began stroking him, her grip was firm as she set a quick pace. She spit on the head of his dick before using the wetness to allow for a smoother stroke. She watched as his breathing picked up once more, his hips matching her hand thrust for thrust, his eyes shut as she pleasured him. When she felt his member harden once more she knew he was on the verge of an orgasm, letting out a quiet chuckle she stopped abruptly causing Daryl’s eyes to snap open. As he stared down at her Beth felt a shiver run through her, the lust in his eyes burned bright and she knew she might have gone too far in her teasing.

“Beth,” He warned with a growl, “if you don’ do somethin’ real soon, I’m gonna-”

“Gonna _what_? You’re bein’ punished, remember?” She snapped back.

“Beth, I’ve been patient...let ya get yer kicks but turn about’s fair play…ya really wanna repeat of yer _first_ punishment?” She rose from her knees and walked to her clothes, bending over she picked up her pants. She heard a snarl behind her and let out a shriek as he picked her up by the waist and ground himself against her. “Woman, yer askin’ for it.”

“Wait! I was just grabbin’ this!” She let her pants fall to the ground and held up the condom for him to see.

“Fuck!” It hit him all at once. They’d been fucking like rabbits and not once had they used protection, what was the point of it now, the chances of her being knocked up had to be up there. He had cursed Lori when she’d been pregnant and wondered how any person could ever be stupid enough to put themselves in that situation with the world the way it was, and now he was in the same position. All his thoughts abruptly stopped when she looked at him with a smile.

“Hey, it’s ok, we wouldn’t be using this now if we had anythin’ to worry about.” He searched her face looking to see if she was telling him the truth. Relief washed over him, he knew the world wasn’t ready for another Dixon, he sure as hell wasn’t. Taking the wrapper from her he tore it open with his teeth before sliding it on over his erection.

“I’m gonna make sure ya won’ be able to walk straight for a week, I hope yer ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a horrible place to stop! I know and I’m sorry, but I will have the next chapter out on Monday! Let me know if anything seems OOC, I’m trying to keep Daryl in character, or if you find any mistakes. Thank you for reading, please leave a review, I really do enjoy reading them!


	10. Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day/ a happy Monday! As promised here is Chapter 10, I hope you enjoy!

_“Hey, it’s ok, we wouldn’t be using this now if we had anythin’ to worry about.” He searched her face looking to see if she was telling him the truth. Relief washed over him, he knew the world wasn’t ready for another Dixon, he sure as hell wasn’t. Taking the wrapper from her he tore it open with his teeth before sliding it on over his erection._

_“I’m gonna make sure ya won’ be able to walk straight for a week, I hope yer ready.”_

    Daryl lifted her by her slim waist, and Beth wrapped her legs around his hips in response, his erection rubbing against her stomach. Using one arm to support her and the other to position himself at her leaking core he teased her slit with his head.

“Daryl, fuck me!” He gave her a crooked grin.

“Ya didn’ say please.” She let out a cry of frustration.

“Please!” He wanted this as much as she did but he couldn’t stop himself from picking on her.

“Please what?” She began squirming in his arms and he swore.

“If I drop ya it’s gonna be yer own damn fault.” That did the trick as she went still in his arms.

“Daryl, if you don’t _please_ shove your fuckin’ cock in my pussy right now-” Her words got lost in her throat as Daryl let gravity take over and she sank down onto his swollen erection.

“Was tha’ so hard?” His voice was breathless as he adjusted to her tight fit.

    Daryl didn’t wait for a response from her as gripped her with his hands and began a brutal pace of bouncing her on his dick. It took a moment for Beth to grip his shoulders and work herself on him, peppering his chest with bites causing him to growl. He let out a howl when she latched onto his nipple with her teeth, sucking and tugging at it.

“What the fuck ya doin’ woman?” He never had a woman pay any attention to his chest before, hell more often than not most of the women he’d been with had never even been facing him, but when Beth bit down he didn’t want to admit that it felt good.

“You don’t like it?” She looked at him as innocently as possibly. He grumbled something unintelligible before taking her own peaked nipple into his mouth and began nipping and sucking on the swollen bud. Beth didn’t bother to muffle her moan as her jaw went slack, unable to control her response. A shiver coursed through her and she tightened her thighs around him.

“Fuck me.” She bit out.

    Stepping towards to nearest wall he pushed her back against it so he didn’t have to strain his arms. His fingers bruised her hips as he began an onslaught on her clenching pussy, his cock twitching with every thrust. Beth’s hands tangled themselves in his hair, pulling and scratching his scalp, egging Daryl on.

“Give it to me…ngh…” She needed to feel more, his teasing had left a fire burning inside her and when she finally came, she wanted to see stars. “Daryl…harder!”

    Removing his hands from her waist he grabbed hold of her behind her knees, opening her up for him. He quickened his pace, his breath coming out in short harsh pants. Sweat glistened over both their bodies and the sounds of their rutting echoed off the walls of the showers.

“More!” She pulled his hair and gently bit his chin.

“You wan’ more? I wanna hear ya beg for it.” He growled at her.

“Please Daryl….fuck me…uhh…pound my pussy…” He slammed her back into the wall, losing himself over to the most primitive part of his psyche. The sound of her moans increased dramatically as he let loose on her, pounding away without care. Pleasure shot down his back and with a final grunt he lost himself, spilling his seed into the condom, never stopping his thrusting til he felt the familiar clamping of Beth’s own orgasm ripping through her.

“Oh God!” He watched her face as she came, her head whipping back and forth, eyes scrunched shut as her body spasmed in ecstasy. Her blue eyes opened moments later with a lazy grin on her face that he returned with his own. A noise behind them caught their attention and they looked to see a red faced Patrick staring at them with wide eyes. Both of them swore as they tore away from one another. Daryl watched as Patrick couldn’t seem to move his eyes from Beth’s naked form and quickly blocked his view as she did her best to hide herself.

“I came in…I wanted to…” The poor teenager was stumbling over his words as Daryl stared him down.

“Get the fuck outta here!” He barked at the boy who promptly turned tail and fled.

    Beth let out a laugh and Daryl looked at her as if she’d grown an extra head. Grabbing her clothes she flung Daryl’s to him.

“You’re gonna need to go find him and make sure he doesn’t tell everyone.” She told him as she slipped on her bra.

“Fuck!” He hadn’t thought about that, it was just what they needed, Patrick blabbing to the group about the free show he and Beth had just put on.

“I’ll be in the library, find me after you talk with him.” She slid her jeans up before bending down to slip on her socks and boots. With a quick peck on the cheek she left Daryl alone, praying she didn’t run into the glasses wearing boy.

    Walking the stacks Beth waited for Daryl to come and tell her if he’d been successful in reaching Patrick before anybody could find out why he was as red as a lobster. She heard the doors to the library open and peaked around the corner to see a disgruntled looking Daryl. Stepping out so that he knew she was there she approached him cautiously, he looked to be in a foul mood.

“So did you talk to him?” Daryl nodded his head and pulled his pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket.

“Yea, kid swears he won’ tell nobody.” Daryl inhaled, lighting it before passing it to Beth for a puff. “Damnit…that boy is drivin’ me up the walls. Always wantin’ to talk about this, that, or some other bullshit. Can’ even take a shit without ‘im there!” He took his cigarette back from Beth who laughed while exhaling.

“Kinda gotta get used to the hero worship Daryl. People aroun’ here look up to you, they respect you and what you do for them.” Daryl shook his head.

“I didn’t sign up to be nobodies fuckin’ hero Blondie.” He inhaled deeply, his jaw ticking.

“How much did he see?” Call it morbid curiosity but Beth wanted to know how much of a peep show they had put on, the thought of having an audience, especially Patrick, repulsed her.

“’nough for the kid to be sportin’ a tent when I caught up to ‘im.”

“Are you sure he won’t tell anyone?” She knew Daryl’s stance on everyone finding out and didn’t want him to regret what had just happened.

“Yea, I’m sure. Threatened to cut off a certain body part if anybody found out.” Beth winced, she didn’t think Daryl had to threaten Patrick, not with the way he idolized the bowman.

“That was kinda mean Daryl, you didn’t have to tell him that!” She swiped his smoke for another puff.

“Was hopin’ it would keep him off my ass for a couple o’ days.”

“How would you like it if I threatened to cut off a certain part of _your_ anatomy?” She motioned towards his jean clad crotch.

“You’d miss it too much.” He shot her a wink as he snuffed out the end of his cigarette on the metal shelving.

“You wish! I still have a full pack of batteries an’ Michonne’s _gift_.” She smirked believing she had bested him. He pulled her body into his own.

“Somebody’s tellin’ lies again…you wan’ me to refresh your memory as to wha’ happens when you’re a bad girl?” His voice was husky and Beth blushed as she glanced to the spot on the floor where he had laid her out their second time together.

“I think I’m good.” Beth’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat trying to play it off. Both of them jumped apart when they heard the excited voices of girls approaching. When the doors opened Lizzy stood, holding the door open for Mika and Carol who looked at the two of them a knowing smile on Carol’s face.

“It stinks in here!” Mika complained to Carol who shot a look at the two of them.

“You shouldn’t smoke in here, the kids come in for story time and a couple of them have asthma.”

    Beth nodded and gave an apology while Daryl just stood beside her awkwardly looking for an exit. When one didn’t present itself, he abruptly told them he had shit to do and left them all behind. Beth stayed behind and watched as kids began filtering in the room, noting that neither Carl nor Patrick were there. Quietly she left Carol in the middle of a book, not wanting to hear about what happens when you give a mouse a cookie.

    The next morning when Beth woke up the first thing she felt was pain, _all_ over her body. The more she tried to stretch it out, the worse it felt. When Michonne poked her head in with a devious smile on her face Beth knew it was because of yesterday.

“How ya feelin’?” She asked the blonde leaning against her cell doorway.

“Like I got hit by a truck, I didn’t think I’d be this sore.” Michonne just nodded. “I’ve cleared the fence before and never felt like this, what gives?”

“Well for one ya did it by yourself, and then ya worked your muscles past what they were used to.” Beth nodded her head.

“What are we gonna work on today?” Beth was eager to try something new.

“There are a few new walkers so you’re gonna clear the line again an’ then you’re gonna run some aroun’ the yard.”

“What’s that supposed to accomplish? I already know the difference between old and new walkers, and running? Really Michonne, can’t you teach me something cool with your sword?” A frown settled over the older woman’s face.

“Get dressed, grab somethin’ to eat and meet me outside.” Beth knew she had crossed some line and quickly followed the orders she had been given. Once she got outside she noted that not many people were out yet since it was still early. She spotted Michonne in the middle of the grassy yard and made her way out to her.

“Beth, when I told you I was gonna train you I thought you were gonna take it seriously.” She sounded disappointed and Beth felt sick, she owed so much to the other woman and she was supposed to be paying her back, not giving her lip.

“I’m sorry, I do take it seriously, I guess I was just getting ahead of myself.” She said sheepishly.

“You’re gonna be clearin’ the fence on a daily basis Beth, think of it as another chore for you to add to your list. I want the movements to become second nature to you, so that you don’t have to think, your body will begin reactin’ on its own….As for the runnin’, there are gonna be times when you can’t stay and fight and you’re gonna need to get away. The more stamina you have, the greater distance you can put between yourself and whatever it is that you’re needin’ to get away from. Now pick up a weapon and start clearin’ the line.” Beth picked up a crowbar and headed to the chain link fence to begin clearing it of walkers.

    Daryl watched from his area on the blacktop where he was fiddling with Merle’s old bike. He saw Michonne giving Beth pointers about her stance and she would occasionally point to a walker and talk before Beth would put them down. He had known that Beth viewed herself as a weak member of the group and he was glad she was doing something to change that. When he heard the crunch of gravel on the pavement he glanced over his shoulder to see Zach approach him.

“Hey man, I know we got off on the wrong foot when we first met.” He said referring to the time he had him kissing Beth in the rain, the thought of that made Daryl clench his fist tightly over the ratchet he was holding. “I think it’s so cool you know what you’re doin’. Were you a mechanic before all this?”

“Yea.” Daryl turned his attention back to the motorcycle, he didn’t want to hear Zach talk anymore and hoped he would shut up and leave him alone.

“Really? Maybe you could look at my Charger, sometimes it…” He trailed off seeing the blank stare that the older man was giving him. “You _weren’t_ a mechanic were you?” Daryl shook his head.

“What _did_ you do before all this?” He was interested in finding out Daryl’s previous occupation; he was such a badass it had to have been something exciting.

“Don’ matter.” He grunted out.

“It doesn’t matter _now_ , but I wanna know. Were you a bouncer? Or maybe a bartender?”

“What’s it gonna take to get you to leave me alone?” Daryl just wanted to be left alone.

“If you won’t tell me what you did, how about you tell me if I guess right? So were you a bouncer?” Daryl shook his head. “A bartender?”

“Ya only get one guess a week.” He didn’t want to be bothered any more than he had to be.

“A week? How about a guess a day?” The kid was persistent, Daryl would give him that.

“Fine, ya had your guess.” Giving his back to the younger man Daryl hoped he would get the hint and leave him be.

“Yea alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Zach walked off with a smile on his face and Daryl frowned, why the hell had he given permission for Zach to continually bother him?  Looking back towards Beth he saw that she no longer had the crowbar in her hand, instead she was running the yard with steady strides as Michonne looked on. Maybe if Beth wasn’t too tired he could give her some tips when it came to dealing with walkers, if she was going to be going outside the fence he wanted to make sure she would be able to take care of herself.

“I don’t get how running is going to help me. Walkers are easy to outrun, they stumble and aren’t very fast.” Beth wheezed as she stopped to talk with her makeshift instructor.

“I didn’ say you could stop, keep runnin’!” She told her but Beth ignored her.

“Just tell me that there’s a reason behind this.” Michonne sighed heavily.

“Look, new walkers are _faster_ than older ones, you’ve gotta be able to not only outrun them, but have enough energy to get yourself someplace safe. And it’s not always gonna be walkers ya gotta watch out for, there are bad people out there. Now get out of here, if you ain’t gone by the time I count to ten I’m gonna tell Maggie all about you an’ Daryl. One. Two.” Beth took off like a bullet, finally stopping when she felt herself get sick from too much running.

“You did good, we’re gonna work on getting’ you to run faster and longer. You’re done for today, go do whatever it is you need to do.” When Michonne took off for the doors to the prison Beth watched as Rick left the building, bucket in hand, no doubt going to feed whatever scraps had accumulated to the pigs. Walking down to meet him, she watched as he dumped the contents of the pail into their trough.

“Hey Rick.” Beth approached with her hands in her pockets.

“What’s goin’ on?” He stopped to look over the low wooden fencing at her.

“Nothin’ much, just came to talk to you.” Rick shook his head, he would never understand why women tended to pussyfoot around an issue when they obviously had something on their minds.

“How’s your trainin’ goin’?”

“Good, we haven’t worked with any of the guns yet. Michonne thinks a quiet weapon is better.” She kicked a rock with the toe of her boot.

“She’s right, it’s better to take down walkers quiet. Don’ wanna risk drawin’ more of ‘em in.” Beth nodded in agreement.

“Rick…” She chewed her lip, and took a deep breath.

“Now I _know_ it’s somethin’ big with the way you’re actin’.” He leaned over the fence as he watched her glance up at him.

“Kinda…I know you’ve taken a step back in leadin’ the group, but you’re the one who’s gotten us to where we are. You’ve always been a leader in my eyes, in the eyes of everyone really…You’re opinion matters to me…Daryl’s taken a leadership role with the group, and everyone is lookin’ up to him as a provider…I know he’d do anythin’ for the benefit of the group.” Rick nodded looking for her to continue. “Do you think I’d ruin all that for him? Tellin’ everyone about us?”

    Ricks’ eyebrows lifted at what he heard, out of everyone in the prison Daryl didn’t even make the list of people he suspected Beth to be with. He thought over what she was asking him, it was obvious she cared about Daryl and didn’t want to risk his position within the group because of their relationship. He would admit the age difference did have him wondering how they could have come together, they didn’t seem to have anything in common with one another. If Hershel knew who his daughter was with and hadn’t raised hell, he knew it wasn’t his place to do so. As for the rest of the group, some of the newer members might raise an eyebrow or two but if it came down to choosing sides he’d have to go with the man who’d stood by his side for the last two and a half years.

“I don’t think anythin’ bad would come of you an’ Daryl tellin’ the group. Only person I know who’s voiced any negativity is Maggie.” Beth smiled at the older man and nodded her head. It would take Maggie time to come to terms, but all Beth could do was wait and hope for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there’s chapter 10! Let me know what you think, reviews are always appreciated. If you catch any mistakes please let me know so that I can fix them. As always, thank you for reading.


	11. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to start off by saying I can't believe it is already June! It has been exactly two weeks since I last posted and believe it or not, two weeks since I started summer Physics I. Tomorrow is my midterm and in another two weeks I have my final before starting Physics II June 30. On top of all that, today was my first day of Genetics, this summer is going to be crazy! Good news is, I'm getting this chapter out and it's the longest chapter so far. I have three other versions of this chapter and was going back and forth as to which one to post and was so torn. Good news is I have chapter 12 halfway finished and it's my favorite one so far.

**Together**

     It had been a week, the longest week of Beth's life and she was going slowly crazy. The first few days Michonne had kept the blonde busy, upping her training to include crunches and pushups along with her daily runs and clearing the fencing but at night her mind would keep her awake. Daryl had gone hunting and it had been four days since anybody had seen him, on the fifth day the council talked behind the wooden doors of the old warden's office, asking each other when they would start to worry about their bowman. On the sixth day, Michonne took off with Flame to look for their missing group member and keep her ear to the ground in hopes of finding out if the Governor was near and had anything to do with the disappearance. All the while Beth was left to continue working at the prison, caring for Judith, clearing the line, and working herself into a frenzy worrying over Daryl.

     Michonne returned from her search two days later, day eight of Daryl going M.I.A, with no news or trace of Daryl or the Governor. A search party was discussed but was nixed, nobody was a tracker, and nobody knew the woods better than Daryl, it wouldn't make sense to send a group to look for him when they didn't have the first clue as to where he could be. The consensus was to hope for the best, keep an eye out and pray for his safe return to them. She'd been praying a lot more than before, pleading and attempting to make deals with God, that if he would let Daryl come back she'd do this, that, or something else, but at the end of each day his cell remained empty.

"This is the longest he's ever been gone." The blond was pushing the instant mashed potatoes around on her plate, her appetite evading her for the last couple of days, when her ears picked up on a conversation that was on repeat at the prison. Everyone had something to say since Daryl had gone missing and she was sick of hearing it.

"Maybe he ran into the Governor?"

"He might've gotten tired of havin' to provide for all of us an' left. It'd be easier to take care of just himself than all of us."

     It angered Beth that the group who'd been with them since last fall would think so little of Daryl, he had stepped up and taken over the group, providing and keeping everybody safe. For them to think that he would leave them to go on his own was ridiculous. She didn't want to think about what could really be keeping her hunter from coming back through the gates, but she knew that he would get past whatever was keeping him from coming home and when he did she didn't care who saw, she was going to show him just how much he had been missed.

     Sliding her plate away from her she stood up and left her food untouched, somebody would snag it, food never went to waste in the prison. Walking to her cell she grabbed her bible before lying down on her cot, opening the cover to pull out the worn slip of paper, finger tracing the letters Daryl had scrawled for her. It had been the same every night, laying alone in bed she'd open the bible and trace his message and the cover of her empty cigarette case. She'd been tempted to look through Daryl's cell to see if he had a cigarette or two to spare but didn't think she'd have the heart to rifle through his things now that he was missing. Nobody had gone up those stairs since Daryl had been gone and she wondered what would happen to his things if he never came back.

     She shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts, she had to believe in him. He would be back, something had happened, but Daryl  _was_  coming back. Blowing out her light, she set the book down on the table next to her and tried to clear the thoughts that raced through her head, scenario after scenario playing out, unable to stop her brain. After settling into a restless sleep she was awoken by painful cramps that had started a couple days ago, they woke her like clockwork, every night she was woken by a pain in her abdomen and nothing she did would ease it. More often than not she ended up curled into a fetal position waiting for them to end.

When she heard the familiar rustle of sheets she knew Carol was up for her morning routine of making breakfast she got up as well, shuffling out of her cell to let the matriarch know she was up and ready to help. Leaning in the entryway she watched Carol straighten the blankets before looking in her direction.

"You look like shit." She wasn't sugar coating anything. "Get back in bed, take a day off to rest, I'll bring you a plate."

     Carol left no room for discussion, shushing her back towards her cell but she Beth as hell wasn't going to lay around in her cell all day, she  _needed_  to stay busy. Getting dressed she sat down next to her dad, playing peekaboo with Judith who was squirming in her father's grasp. A plate appeared in front of her and Carol gave her a disapproving glare.

"Thought I told you to rest today." She said loud enough for the table to hear.

"I'm fine Carol, really." She picked up the fork and pushed the grits around, not really wanting to eat the gritty ground hominy.

"Is everythin' ok Beth?" Hershel looked towards his youngest daughter for answers.

"I'm fine Dad, just a little tired, I haven't been sleeping too well since…" Her throat constricted and eyes began to burn. Of all times for her to get emotional, now was  _definitely_  not appropriate. "I'm fine." She ground out.

"Look at her Hershel, she's been pushing herself an' needs to rest." He took in his daughter's appearance, she was worn down, dark bags under her eyes and her hair greasier than was necessary, indicating she had not showered in at least two to three days.

"Maybe you should stay in today sweetie, shower and lay down, I don't mind keeping you company."

"I don't want to stay in Daddy, I wanna go out and clear the fence like I do every day, I want to do my chores instead of laying around all damn day!" She closed her eyes and ground her teeth, she sure as hell wasn't going to listen to them.

"We just want what's best for you Beth, that's all. You're no good to us if you're walkin' around half asleep." Carol tried to get her to see her point but Beth wasn't having it.

"I ain't no good to anybody if I'm in here doing  _nothing_!" She shoved her plate away and stood catching the stares of those in the small room. "What are you lookin' at?" She stalked off outside, determined to make today the same as every other day.

Starting off with a run across the yard she pushed herself harder than she had before, her anger spurring her on. When she finished she walked up to the blue water barrels and grabbed a cup, drinking enough to fill her empty stomach. She ignored the looks and tried not to be bothered by conversations that stopped when she arrived, word traveled the prison quickly it reminded her of high school gossip spreading faster than wildfire. Undeterred she made her way down to the fence to begin clearing the walkers that had lined up, it was a never ending job and she wondered just how many people had turned and how many people were left in the world.

Beth had to pull back, only halfway done when a piercing pain stabbed its way through her lower abdomen. Breathing heavily she tried to compose herself, something didn't feel right. The sound of crunching gravel caused her to look up, her blue eyes meeting her sisters' hazel.

"Heard about your episode this morning." She had a smirk on her face and she snarled back.

"Oh yea, what of it?" Her smirk grew wider and Beth wanted nothing more than to wipe if off her face, tempted to tackle the taller woman.

"Oh Beth, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"What the hell're you talkin' about?" Maggie reached into her pocket pulling out a bottle of pills, shaking them. "Your head always spun before your period."

It clicked for her then, pieces fell into place, the cramping, the emotional mood swings. Beth let out a bark of laughter-she was PMSing and taking it out on the group. She took the bottle of Pamprin from her sister.

"Where did you get this from?" She opened the lid and peered in, there was more than enough, almost a full bottle.

"Personal stash." Beth nodded her head.

"Thanks, I didn't even realize this could be the problem." Maggie understood, stress, weight loss, an unbalanced diet, all those factors contributed to a menstrual cycle that was haywire.

"Just relax, things have been tense since Daryl went missing." Beth felt the familiar tightening of her throat and swore, this was not how she wanted her sister to find out Daryl was her lover. "We don't need you biting everybody's heads off at the drop of a hat."

"Yea." It was all she could croak out.

"Are you ok?" Her blonde head nodded and she looked away, biting back a sniffle. "Is this about Daryl?" As hard as she tried to fight the tears they leaked out, down her rosy red cheeks. "Hey, it's ok! C'mere."

     Maggie drew her younger sister into her arms, strengthening her hold as Beth stood rigid in her arms. She knew her sister was a sweet person, always worrying about everybody over herself and she had seen the downward spiral she had been going in once Daryl had officially gone missing. When a sob racked her body Maggie began stroking her hand up and down her back, wanting Beth to let it out. It wasn't good for her to hold up so much emotion, if she kept it bottled up she was bound to explode and that wouldn't end well for anybody.

"He'll be back, Beth."

     That just seemed to bring on another bout of tears from the young woman and Maggie breathed deeply trying to think of something to sooth Beth but was coming up empty. The more she thought about it, she realized that their relationship had changed, Beth was no longer her sixteen year old punk sister, she was a young woman who was currently struggling with the loss of a group member. They hadn't spent much time together, instead Maggie spent every waking moment with Glenn, she no longer knew what calmed her sister, she was practically a stranger and that was something she wanted to work on.

The blaring of a horn cut their moment short and they looked up to see gravel flying as two cars approached the gates of the prison. Flashes of the governor ran through their minds and Maggie pulled out a gun from the waistband of her pants pushing Beth behind her.

"Open the fuckin' gate!" A familiar head poked out from the rolled down window of an old rusted Impala.

"It's Daryl!" Shouts rang out among the group, feet hit the ground as they ran to open the gate for him. Two cars entered, guns trained on the vehicles as they were cut off. Daryl exited the vehicle as doors slowly opened, not wanting to make any sudden movements and risk gunfire.

"What the hell took you so long?" Rick stepped forward, clasping the shoulder of a grungy Daryl. Nodding towards the cars he replied.

"Picked up some stragglers along the way, couldn' leave 'em out there." Rick's eyes traveled along the new people, they looked scared and tired.

"Nine days?" There was a story there and he wanted to hear it.

"Was huntin' when I ran into the family; Margie, Eryn, Henry," He nodded towards a blonde woman who had her arms wrapped around her young son and daughter, a middle aged brunette stood off to the side of them. "Tha's Amber. Didn' wanna come back empty handed, told 'em to stay put while I followed a buck an' bagged 'em. Came back to see Margie's' husband pointin' a gun at that one." He pointed to a young redheaded man. "Said he was jus' lookin' for supplies… Needed to handle the situation, we got to talkin' an' he told me he had a doctor back in town with supplies. We went only to have a herd on us as we was loadin' a car. Had to wait for the husband to turn before puttin' 'im down." Daryl gave the watered down events to save time, he just wanted to eat and shower before sleeping a couple days away.

"What 'bout that one?" He nodded towards a black man who stood by the passenger door of the last vehicle.

"Was gonna drive right past 'im…Saw 'im on the road. Kids made me stop, askin' wha' made them savable an' not 'im. Name's Bob, said he lost his group to a herd." Rick nodded his head.

"Did you ask 'em?" Daryl nodded, knowing he was referring to the three questions they agreed to ask people wanting to come back to the prison.

"They're good."

"Alright! Lower your weapons!" Everybody surrounding the vehicles obeyed, turning their safety's on.

"How 'bout we get ya'll somethin' to eat then you can shower 'fore we show you to your cells. First though, we're gonna need to pat ya'll down. Until we know we can trust you, no weapons are allowed."

     Grumbling their consent they were pat down before ushered off towards the shaded pavilion on the blacktop. Daryl stayed behind to talk with Rick as the vehicles were searched and emptied of any usable goods.

"What about the deer you were tracking?" Daryl swore.

"Got 'im. Lugged it back to the camp after strippin' it. Ended up spoilin' didn't expect to take so fuckin' long!" He looked up to see Beth's red eyes boring a hole into him from her sister's arms.

"What's wrong with you Blondie?" He nodded to her. Nobody expected her to push past her sister and openly embrace him like she did, crying into his chest. Daryl didn't know how to react, his wide eyes looked around him as he saw Rick look away with a smirk before settling on Maggie. The thought of Maggie had him tearing Beth from him.

"She missed you." Maggie told him as he kept her at arms distance.

"I'm 'ere so stop." Blue eyes met blue.

"Daryl I-"

"Damn Blondie, can't you let me get back 'fore ya start with this emotional shit. I'm 'live, so stop with the water works." The tears stopped and were replaced with anger as she shrugged his arms from her and pushed past him towards the prison.

"You didn' have to be an ass!" Maggie yelled at him, running to catch up with her fuming sister.

     Beth locked herself away in her cell to cool down, taking the Pamprin her sister had given her. She was relieved that Daryl was finally back but this was far from the ideal homecoming that she had envisioned for them. When she heard the familiar footsteps go up and back down the stairs she knew he was going to take a shower and grabbed her own set of clothes before taking off after him, returning to briefly grab a condom. While she knew she was pissed at him, the likelihood of them having sex was still there. Walking the halls she was about to enter the shower area when she ran into an unfamiliar man, her heart began pounding, they didn't know anything about these people they let into their home yet.

"Daryl's in there if you're wanting to shower." Bob told her and she moved to hide the foil packet in her pile of clothes but he caught site of it. "Ah, that's exactly why you're here." He gave her a wink and she blushed under his stare.

"Nobody knows, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anybody you saw me." It wouldn't do any good to have the newest member of their group telling Maggie about her and Daryl's' rendezvous.

"Mums' the word."

     Beth nodded, entering the showers, not bothering to look at Daryl. She was gonna remind him of what he missed while he was gone and he was definitely going to regret pushing her away. Stripping she started the shower two sprays away from him causing him to look over at her. She ignored him as she bent over to pick up the shampoo, and started to wash her hair. She let out a moan, she had definitely needed this, there was no better feeling than being clean. She continued to ignore him when she heard him turn off his spray and ignored when she felt him behind her. What Beth couldn't ignore was when she bent over to pick up her washrag and soap, his hands grip her hips and he rubbed his erection between her ass cheeks. Standing quickly she turned to face him and pushed him away from her before lathering her washcloth and scrubbing the grime off her body from the last three days. Standing under the spray she let the suds run down her body and down the drain, ignoring the heat rolling off Daryl's body.

"Were you really cryin' over me?" He pulled her into his chest, not allowing her to remove herself from her hold.

"Why would I do that?" She questioned, though she relaxed into him her words remained defiant.

"You tell me."

"Nine days Daryl, you were gone  _so_  long." She shut off the cool water and turned into his chest, resting her head so she could hear his heart beat in her ear.

"'m 'ere now." She nodded, holding him close.

"Did you miss me?"

"What do you think?" Daryl thrust his hips forward into hers eliciting a shudder from her.

"I asked if  _you_  missed me," her small hand reached between them to grip him. " _Not_ if  _he_  missed me."

"Course I did, when I wasn' worryin' 'bout walkers." He hissed out as she squeezed his shaft.

"Tell me what you missed Daryl."

"Your lips." Her rosy lips were on his neck, peppering kisses up and down as she listened to him.

"What else?" She pushed.

"Your wet pussy." She brought his hand to the apex of her thighs and his fingers found her wet center.

"Your mouth on me." Beth sucked and nibbled her way down to his chest, carefully skimming across his nipple with her teeth causing him to let out a moan. "Your mouth on my  _dick_." He corrected and she pulled his hand from her before she began her torturous journey south.

     Beth let herself enjoy having him with her again, kissing her way along his abdomen, noting bruising on his side. Her tongue left a wet trail down before she kissed her way up and nipped her way back down in a pleasurable pattern, Daryl was left with red welts along his pleasure trail before Beth finally reached her destination. He was hard, his thick member bobbing before her face, pre-cum collecting at his head. Her blue eyes looked up his body before connecting with his own and she stuck out her tongue, tentatively licking him like one would an ice cream cone.

     The bitter taste of Daryl burst across her tongue as she took him completely into her mouth enjoying the curses that fell from his parted lips. She felt a pang through her lower abdomen and brushed it off as arousal. Her eyes never left Daryl's as her head bobbed up and down, his hand quickly found its familiar resting place in her head as he picked up her pace, his hips thrusting to meet her wet mouth.

"Ya like that?" He panted out. "Ya like my dick in yer mouth, fuckin' yer throat?" He gripped her hair hard and pushed her down completely onto his dick, gagging her a little. He pulled her back, bobbing her head slowly before burying himself in her throat again, moaning at the feel of her.

     Beth felt her wetness run down her thigh and the familiar throb of arousal at the thought of Daryl pounding into her. Reaching her hand down between her legs she parted her moist lips and began rubbing her clit, moaning around his cock. Daryl felt his eyes close as his breath picked up, it had been too long since he'd been with Beth and he was about to blow quicker than he ever had before.

"Ya gotta stop woman," He told her, pulling her back to meet his gaze once more. "Wanna cum when I'm buried in your tight pussy."

"There's a condom in my things." She told him, standing while he walked towards her things to find the latex barrier.

When Beth caught sight of her hand her blood froze, immediately she turned the cool water back on and scrubbed her hand and looking down she cursed, scrubbing her thigh as well. Her head went light and as all arousal fled the dull cramps in her abdomen came to the forefront, of all times for her to start her period, now was definitely not it.

"I'm not feelin' so hot Daryl." She grumbled out over her shoulder stopping Daryl in his tracks.

"Whatchu mean  _not feelin' so hot_? You messin' with me?" The opened package in his hand.

"I'm not messing with you Daryl, I just don't feel so well all of a sudden." She turned the spray off once more and she tried to pass him to get to her clothes but he stopped her, grabbing her around her tender waist, a moan making its way out.

"Wha's wrong?" He rested his forehead on the back of her head. "Thought we were gonna show one another jus' how much we missed one another."

"We can do that without sex." She tried to step away unsuccessfully.

"Where's the fun in that?" He ground his erection against her pert ass moaning into her hair.

"Maybe I want  _one_  moment together that  _isn't_  about sex Daryl!" She shoved his arm away from her. "Maybe I don't just want  _fun_  but an actual relationship."

"What the hell? Where's this comin' from, thought we were 'bout to have a good time?" She knew she was purposefully picking a fight, but she didn't want to tell him that she was on her period and didn't want to have gross bloody sex.

"Don't you get it, I don't just want a good time. I want more Daryl. I want you to open up to me, let me past your tough exterior." She walked to her clothes, shoving on her panties and shorts before bothering with her bra.

"Your damn mood swings 're givin' me whiplash woman! First ya wanna fuck, then ya don', now yer bitchin' 'bout me not talkin' to ya! In case ya missed it, I was  _gone_! Couldn' exactly phone in to see how yer fuckin' doin' Beth."

"You never talked to me  _before_  you left! We've been together for  _months_  an' I don't know anything about you other than you had a brother and your childhood wasn't the greatest!"

"If you weren't such a nosy bitch you'd only know half that!" Daryl wasn't going to take this attack lying down. He was exhausted, hungry and now adding sexually frustrated to the growing list of things wrong. "This is exactly why I don't do relationships, too much bullshit!"

"Bullshit?" Beth scoffed. "Me wanting somebody who isn't scared to tell everybody about us is  _not_  bullshit! Me wanting a guy who actually  _talks_  to me instead of just  _fucking_  me is  _not_  bullshit! But you know what? Maybe _this,_ " She motioned to the two of them, "is bullshit!"

"Maybe you're right." She had wanted him to tell her she was wrong, not agree with her. It hurt to think that this was how it was all going to end, Beth thought that there had been something more between them. As she exited the showers she felt regret settle at the pit of her stomach, this was not what she wanted. She made it to her cell after bothering her sister for a few feminine hygiene products to get her through the week, burying her face in the pillow she tried to sleep away the rest of day.

"Bethy," It was her father. "It's time for supper."

She gave a grunt from her pillow, not wanting to eat with the group, not wanting to eat period.

"That wasn't a request." She looked up to his stern face and knew she had no choice but to follow him to the makeshift cafeteria. It looked like Cellblock D was taking to the new arrivals fairly well, questions and excited chatter filled the air. She ended up sitting down next to Michonne who was unfortunately across from Daryl, asking if he had seen any traces of the Governor while he had been out. Her father came back with two plates, setting one in front of her, she felt bad that he had had to manage two plates with his crutches.

"I don't wanchu pushin' your food 'round like you've been doin', either ya eat or we put a tube down your throat an' you no longer have any say." Beth hung her head in shame, she didn't want Daryl or Michonne knowing she hadn't been eating.

"I just haven't been hungry Daddy." She felt Daryl's eyes burning a hole in her head but she refused to look up.

"Either you start eatin' or stop trainin'. Your body is gonna quit on ya if you're workin' as hard as I've been makin' ya on no food." Beth looked to her right, and nodded. She wouldn't give up working with Michonne, she was working on finally becoming an asset to the group.

     After taking a few bites Michonne left the table, satisfied the blonde was heeding her warning. Her father sitting to her left was talking with Rick about building a structure for Flame next to the pig pen leaving her to sneak glances at Daryl between bites. Just when it looked like he was going to get up to leave the newest brunette, Amber, sat down next to him, blocking his exit.

"Whatcha wan'?" He grunted out.

"To say thanks, you didn't have to bring us here, but you did." Beth watched with wide eyes as the woman's hand drifted under the table.

"Oh yea. 's no problem." When her hand came in contact with Daryl's knee he shot her a look, touching wasn't something Daryl was comfortable with when it came to people he didn't know. Hell when it came to people he knew he still had issues with them touching him.

"Well still…I was hoping there might be something I could do to repay you…" Her hand crept up his leg and he jerked, hitting his knee on the underside of the table. Beth couldn't believe what she was hearing, this woman was propositioning Daryl in front of her and he wasn't blowing her off like he would have done her.

"You don' have to do that." A blush rose to his cheeks and Beth stabbed the watery boxed potatoes.

"I know I don't  _have_ to." She pressed herself into his side. "But I  _want_  to."

     Beth watched from where she sat as Daryl nodded and followed the newest member out of the cafeteria. Her face was on fire and she looked around to find the members of the group who knew about Daryl and herself staring at her. Shoving her plate away from her she stood, at this point she didn't care if her father force fed her or Michonne stopped working with her, she needed to get out of there. Her chest tightened and it felt like she couldn't breathe, ice flowed through her veins causing a tingle throughout her body. She needed to be alone so nobody could see her breakdown.

     She was in a daze, she didn't want to be around anybody right now, but she knew that if she tried to find a quiet place her chances of catching Daryl and Amber, increased. Part of her wanted to search them out, interrupt them and give Daryl a piece of her mind, the other part of her knew she had given up her right to tell him he couldn't sleep with other women. Walking towards the old warden's office she heard a door slam close and looked up, it was Amber, quickly buttoning her blouse and looking thoroughly flustered.

"Don't wanna go anywhere near there." She motioned to the door.

"Why what's goin on?" Her voice came out raspy.

"That woman, Carmen I think, came in at told me to leave."

Beth's eyes widened,  _Carol_?

"Burst in there, hollerin' about ruinin' a good thing an' he was gonna be sorry…how do I get back to the cellblock?" Beth gave her the directions before she shuffled over to the door and pressed her ear, trying to listen in on the private conversation taking place.

"Damnit Carol!" She didn't need to strain to hear that. "We're over!"

Beth didn't know how it was possible but her veins when from ice to fire in an instant, rage consuming her, he had lied to her about the relationship between himself and Carol.

"Whose fault is that Daryl? You're like a damn porcupine! Never lettin' anybody get under your prickly spines for fear of 'em rippin' you to shreds so you beat 'em to it!"

"It wasn't like that! I wasn't the one to end it-" The wheels in her head turned, apparently Carol had the same problem with Daryl, trying to get him to open up while he fought tooth and nail.

"Just because you didn't end it doesn't mean you're completely blameless…and bringing that woman in here to screw her ain't helpin' your case any!"

     Beth wasn't able to hear anymore, it was as if she were possessed, instead of walking away like her mind was screaming, her body slammed the wooden door open and she stood in the entryway looking at a frustrated Daryl, ignoring Carol completely. As she took him in she felt her rage grow, his lips looked thoroughly kissed, a couple of hickeys were forming on his neck and his pants were hanging by his zipper alone, buckle and button undone. She took the three strides to him and punched him, his head snapping to the side and her hand throbbing from the impact. Beth could have sworn she heard something snap and she wasn't sure if it was from him, her or in her head. When he turned to her, the rage on his face had her step away from him.

"The fuck you think you're doin' woman?" Stepping towards her he towered over her but she stood her ground. He didn't get to be mad, he didn't get to go off with Amber and be mad at her when he was the one who hurt her.

"Why her?" Beth choked out, she needed to know.

"Why her what?"

"Why do you have no problem walking off with Amber and not me? Everyone knew what you two were going to do but you didn't care, it didn't bother you what people would think. You had no problem letting her mark you," she pointed at the hickeys forming on his neck. "But me? 'No, not Beth'. We were together for months,  _months_  Daryl! And you didn't tell a soul, you didn't want  _anybody_  to know and I deserve to know why. Were you really scared what everybody would say, because let me tell you,  _nobody_ that I talked to was bothered by it! Michonne, Rick, Sasha, Tyreese, Daddy. They  _all_  knew about us and didn't say one word against our  _forbidden_ fling." The shock on his face spurred her on. "You don't get to be mad at me Daryl. What did I ever do to you that was  _so_  bad?" He stayed quiet, his jaw ticking not knowing how to answer her. "And you!" She spun her gaze towards the older woman. "How long have you two been together?"

"Beth, it's not what you think." The older woman took a step towards the shaking woman. "I was in here trying to talk some sense into Daryl, I knew how much this would hurt you."

Taking in a shuddering breath Beth looked into Carols' eyes, confusion shining bright. "What do you mean?"

"You two are good for each other Beth…I couldn't let Daryl throw that away an' neither should you."

"She already did!" Daryl bit out from his corner.

"Like hell! It's not me who can't find the balls to let everyone know about us!"

"What do you want from me?" He glared at her as Carol looked on between the two, she felt she shouldn't be watching something so personal but knew if she left things might go from bad to worse.

"You! I want you! I want you to want me enough to not give a rat's ass about what everyone will think, but that's not going to happen!"

"I can't-"

"Can't what? Everybody who matters knows, everybody except Maggie and Glenn; and yet the world is still spinning isn't it? The sun is still shining outside and this hell we live in hasn't froze over, has it?" He reached out for her but she shirked away. "Don't. You don't get to touch me Daryl. We might be stuck together inside this prison, but I don't want you anywhere near me."

"Beth, calm down, is this really what you want?" Carol tried to mediate, "What's the problem?" She was going to maintain order and put an end to this.

"He is! He's the problem!" When Daryl opened his mouth to argue Carol silenced him with a pointed look.

"How is he the problem? Let him know what's wrong."

"You have no problem with everyone knowing about you and Amber, but not me. You keep sayin' you don't want anybody to know about us, but what about Amber? What makes  _me_  any different?" The heartbreak was evident in her voice and Daryl let her words sink in.

"I'm not with her!"

"Oh yea? Then you two were just comin' in here for what exactly?" Beth bit out bitterly.

"Why should you care, ain' like we're together after the bullshit you pulled!"

"Stop!" Carol tried reining them in again.

"I don't wanna be your dirty little secret Daryl, you won't let me in and I'm tired of begging for you to."

"I'm not sure wha' ya wan' me to say." They both looked defeated and Carol didn't know if anything she said would help.

"I want you two to listen to me. I might not have the best track record when it comes to men, but I know what I see. Neither of you had to tell me you were together, because it's obvious, lord knows how nobody else saw it. Daryl, I catch you watchin' her when you think nobody is lookin', and it sure as hell doesn't look like you're just lustin' after her. You've been softenin' up an' it is 'cause of  _her_." She motioned towards the blond. "It's not a bad thing Daryl, to open up. And you Beth, I've seen you go from this fragile girl into a woman who stands up for herself, that didn't happen until you and Daryl were together did it?" Blue eyes glanced at Daryl and she bit her lip, Carol was right, he did play into her decision to take a more active role in the group. "You two make each other better, are you sure you're both ready to end things for good?"

"Can you leave us Carol?" Beth asked quietly. She hesitated before leaving the two alone, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"I'm mad at you Daryl, and hurt." Her voice cracked and they both winced at the sound. "I don't understand why we can't be together in the open, I don't know what I would've done if you had…with Amber…" She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of those unsettling thoughts.

"It wouldn't've meant anythin'. Was jus' gonna be sex…" It hurt her to hear him admit what was going to happen in this room with the brunette woman.

"Like we're  _just_  have sex?"

"We ain' like that Beth, we ain'  _just_  sex." That was more than he'd ever admitted before.

"As much as it hurts to think about you with somebody else…it kills me to imagine not having you in my life at all…You're  _not_  forgiven Daryl, but I'm willin' to give you the chance to make it up to me." Daryl looked at her while chewing on his thumb nail. "But that's all you're gettin', one more mistake an' we're as good as done."

"Wha' 'bout me?  _You_  ended us, an' that don't sit right with me. What the hell happened in the showers Beth? You went from this hot sexy Beth to a frigid bitch!" She took timid steps towards him before embracing him.

"I'm sorry Daryl, I..." She hid herself in his chest, she didn't want to tell him. "I wasn't feeling good."

"That ain' good 'nough Beth. What happened in there?"

"I…when you got up to get the condom…" He nodded, allowing his arms to wrap around her small form. "I started…" She shook her head leaving her sentence hanging in the air hoping with enough context clues he'd get the point.

"You on the rag or some shit?" He was so eloquent Beth thought at his crass question.

"Yea, or some shit." She muttered.

"Did ya really talk to all o' 'em 'bout us?" When she nodded in his chest his eyes widened, she had talked to members of the group looking for acceptance so that they could be together. She wanted to be with him, Daryl had a hard time wrapping his mind around the thought, she wanted to be with him  _so_  much that she went and had pled their case to members of the group, looking for support, and they apparently hadn't fought her on it. If this tiny woman could do that for them, he could step up for her.

"Really?" Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, a smile threatening to spread across her lips.

"Yea, really." She leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, pulling away when he tried to deepen it. "No, you haven't been a good boy." He gave her a feral grin.

"Oh yea?" He pulled her close, her body fitting his almost perfectly.

"Yea, as long as you have somebody else's mark on you, I ain't gonna touch you." She flicked her finger on one of the marks on his neck causing him to flinch. "You really did fuck up, Daryl, I'm not letting this one go."

"We weren't together." He tried to reason with her, weren't they supposed to have makeup sex now?

"We should've been…You gotta fight for us Daryl, as much as I do. If you're not willin' to, let me know and we'll part ways now." Daryl watched her and shook his shaggy head at the thought of ending things for good.

"Nah." Placing a chaste kiss on her lips he let her go and opened the door.

"Where are you goin'?"

"Gonna go find me a Korean." Beth felt her lips tug into a wide smile and bobbed her head in approval, things might not always be perfect between them, but everything would work out as long as they worked together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is, another chapter down. Thank you for reading and please, let me know if you find any mistakes and let me know what you think, feedback is always appreciated! I'll try and have the next chapter out by this weekend.


	12. Daryl

      Beth was having a hard time coming to grips with what had happened, everything had happened in such a short time span and it had left her in shock, unable to fully process everything. It had been two days and the events were still playing on loop in her head, her mind never stopping the what-ifs that plagued her. What if she let Daryl know what was going on with her instead of lashing out? What if she had walked back into the showers and told him she had made a mistake? What if she hadn’t bottled up the hurt that had set in and talked with Daryl? There were so many different scenarios that she was still unable to get any rest, her brain not turning off like she needed.

      It didn’t help that her cramps were still persistent; she’d made a sizable dent in her sisters’ pills without much relief. She was surprised at how quickly her period had passed she had only spotted here and there, it had to be due to stress. Today was shaping up to be another rough day. While the pain in her lower abdomen was manageable at the moment she wanted to be ready if the pain got out of hand. Maggies’ cell was only a couple down and she was lucky that her sister hadn’t left yet.

“Hey! What’re you doin’ here?” It had been a while since she poked in just to say hello.

“I wanted to give you these back.” She held out the near empty bottle and Maggie raised a questioning brow. “Do you have any Advil or Tylenol in that personal stash of yours?”

“What’s hurtin’?” She had gotten up to riffle through a bag on the floor.

“I’m still cramping but the Pamprin just isn’t cutting it.” She told her with a frown.

“Is it your period?” Maggie looked up with her hand still rooting around, searching for the meds.

“No, it wasn’t really all that bad.”

“Maybe you should talk to Daddy or that new doctor that came in.” With a cry of success she held out the bottle to her sister but before she could take it pulled back. “You know…if you’re stressed…or just need to talk, I’m here for you Beth.”

“I know.” When her sister stood Beth pulled the brunette into a tight hug. “Thank you. You’re a really good sister.”

“Are you sure you’re still not riding the crimson wave sis?” She questioned with a chuckle, looking down at the smaller blonde.

“Shut up!” She gave a light punch on Maggie’s arm before leaving the cell to take the bottle back to her own.

      Beth pocketed a couple of pills into her shorts as a precaution before heading out towards the yard. When she passed her father’s cell she stopped in her tracks, chewing on her bottom lip before making her way towards the cell doorway. Knocking gently on the bar to get his attention he looked up from his book, marking his page with a crease of the corner.

“I was wonderin’ when I’d see you.” He beckoned her in, shuffling over to make room for her on the cot, in an instant she reverted back into a little girl, curling herself into her fathers’ side as he wrapped an arm around her. “Took you long ‘nough. How’re you holdin’ up?”

      She didn’t know what it was about her dad, but the wave of emotions that she’d been successfully fighting back came to the forefront and she didn’t even try to hide the sniffle that escaped her.

“That’s about right.” He teased her gently earning a shaky chuckle from her. “Do I need to get my shotgun, ‘cause I did warn him.”

“No…maybe… I don’t know Daddy. I thought I had it all sorted out, but then I can’t stop thinkin’ and I…” She inhaled deeply, releasing the air in a shuddering breath.

“Wha’ happened?” She turned in his arms to give him a piercing look as if telling him not to play dumb. “Alrigh’, what happened after you left, I reckon you hunted ‘em down?”

“I wasn’t _looking_ for them.” It has his turn to give her a pointed stare. “Honest, I just wanted to be alone, but then I saw her comin’ out of the warden’s office an’ she was buttoning the top buttons of her blouse…She told me Carol had told her to leave. I ended up bursting in there and punching him.” An approving smirk appeared on her father’s face but she brushed past it, continuing with her tale. “I told him everything, how unappreciated I felt, how I didn’t want to be a dirty secret an’ how much he hurt me. I asked him how he could have no problem walking away with somebody who wasn’t me and how I felt we were just…” She paused but knew she would have to be honest with her father, “How we were just sex buddies.”

“And what did he say?” As always he was calm and collected, not giving away his feelings on what she was saying.

“Not much now that I think about it. He told me we weren’t just having sex, that there was more to us. But he never did anything to show that, if there was more to us wouldn’t he have done something?” Her blue eyes looked towards her dad for answers.

“I can’t tell you what he was thinkin’ honey, but he sure as hell stepped in it this time.”

“I did too.” She said sadly.

“How do you mean?”

“I told him we were done, that maybe what we were was just bullshit. I was just so mad and I said something I shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t you try an’ put this on you Beth!” Her father demanded. “You’re not the one who took off with somebody else in front of everyone.”

“I know, but I just feel like there’s somethin’ I could’ve done differently.” She cried into his side, before her father could reply Maggie entered the cell.

“Thought I heard somethin’ goin’ on in here. Is everythin’ ok?” Maggie stepped towards Beth but Hershel held up his hand stopping her in her tracks.

“Everythin’s alright, just havin’ a lil chat and things got a little emotional.” She gave him a grimacing smile.

“Knew she wasn’t done with those mood swings, maybe you should’ve kept the bottle, huh sis?” She didn’t get a response and hastily left the cell, and Beth finally came out from hiding.

“Now you listen to me, there’s no sense in livin’ in the past worrying about what-if’s an’ maybe’s. What’s happened, happened. What matters now is what’s goin’ to happen, you find out what you want to do. Do you want him or do you want to move on?” When she opened her mouth to respond he stopped her. “Don’t answer now, it’s not somethin’ to be decided quickly, think about it, an’ when you’ve decided you tell _him_ not me. This ain’ got nothin’ to do with me or anyone else other than the two of you.”

“But what do you think Daddy, would I be making a mistake?” He let out a sigh and gave her a squeeze.

“I can’t tell you what to do or how to live your life; I can only offer you guidance. In this world there is a very real possibility that you or someone you know and care for will die. When that day comes all the regrets are gonna come to the forefront of your mind, and when you look back and think about what happened, would you rather your regret be that you never gave Daryl another chance, or that you did?”

 “I don’t want any regrets, what if I make a mistake with Daryl?”

“Then you learn from it and move forward, it’s all anybody can do.” She closed her eyes and let herself fall into the comforting embrace of her father.

“How’d you get to be so smart Daddy?”

“By makin’ a few mistakes.” 

* * *

 

      The first few days after that fateful night were strained, Daryl didn’t know how to begin to set things right and he couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on him. Beth wasn’t making it easy for him either, and he couldn’t blame her, she was keeping her distance. There was talk going around about him going off with Amber, from what he heard he had apparently fallen madly in love with her during his nine day absence. When pressed, Amber was thankfully keeping quiet about the situation, telling people that while they _had_ gone off together, the chemistry just wasn’t there. After a few days another rumor began circulating, saying Daryl had not been able to get it up and was in the closet. He had snorted at the thought, if they knew what he was capable of getting up to with Beth his sexuality would never have come into question.

      He had been wiping the grease from his hands when he looked up to see Beth lugging water to the laundry basin, about to start cleaning the piling dirty clothes. Walking over to where she was he took the heavy bucket of water from her and dumped it into the tub, repeating the process once more so that she had enough to get the job done. A quiet thank you was all he got from her and he found himself shifting uncomfortably, the awkwardness between the two of them was unlike anything they had experienced before.

“Beth…can we talk?” All he received was a noncommittal hum from her as she dunked a shirt into the water and began lathering it with a bar of soap.

“I thought we were gonna work on this.” She scrubbed the shirt on the washboard; it was beginning to frustrate him that she appeared to be ignoring him.

“You said that we were gonna do this _together_ , checkin’ out on me ain’-” She dropped the shirt in the water and let it float, turning to look at him for the first time since the warden’s office.

“I know what I said Daryl but…I need some time. Part of me wants to tie you up an’ let the walkers get to you and another wants to know what the hell you were thinking!” She kept her voice low, not wanting any attention on the two of them. She had already caught Rick staring as she turned back to scrub the shirt again, she was sure that the others who knew about them wanted to see how this was going to play out.

“I got caught up in the moment…It still bothers me, I can’t stop thinking about what you would’ve done if Carol hadn’t come in…how could you-“

“Maggie, don’t!” Beth looked up as she heard Glenn call out only to see Daryl go down hard, Maggie standing over him poised to strike.

      Her reaction was instantaneous and a small scuffle ensued when Maggie moved to strike again. All hell had broken loose, Glenn was yelling, Beth was screaming, different members of their group ran forward to help and Daryl stayed down. She felt herself pulled from her sister, she hoped that Maggie was in the same boat. Zach was holding onto her and as she calmed down his grip loosened enough for her to watch as Maggie continued thrashing in Tyreese’s strong arms screaming about killing Daryl.

“What’s goin’ on here!” Rick had walked up to the blacktop to help when the scuffle started.

“It was him all along, and then he has the nerve to screw aroun’ on her!” Maggie was in a blind rage, her pupils dilated as adrenaline coursed through her system. Beth couldn’t remember a time when she’d seen her sister so pissed.

“Where’s Hershel?” Rick asked, looking around the group to see who could give him an answer.

“He’s in his cell, his leg was bothering him, he was gonna stay in.” Beth said quietly.

“Good, Sasha, go get ‘im an’ tell him to meet us in the warden’s office. You,” He pointed to Zach as Sasha left. “Get a group to the fence, all this noise’ll have drawn in the walkers.” The group that had formed significantly dropped as they went off to clear the fences of the agitated walkers.

“Now Maggie, I need you to calm down. We’re gonna go an’ have a chat about what just happened.”

“How can you all be so calm? He’s been takin’ advantage of Beth! My little sister!” Her eyes widened as something clicked. “You knew! You knew and you let him! What, did he tell you it was what she wanted?”

 “We’re gonna sort this out inside.” Rick told her, there was going to be no discussion outside.

       Maggie shrugged off Tyreese’s hold on her shoulders as she stalked past everyone, leading the way to where council held their meetings. It was a tense quiet walk, Glenn quickly keeping pace behind the fuming brunette as Daryl drew up the rear looking like he was walking towards his execution than anything else. Sasha and Hershel were waiting for them as they filed into the space, the room was clearly divided as everyone seemed to be keeping their distance from Maggie and Daryl, knowing that if something were to happen it would be one of them that would start it. Rick closed the door looking around, doing a headcount as to who was there.

“What’s goin’ on, all Sasha would tell me was Maggie took a swing at Daryl?” Hershel wasted no time pussyfooting around the subject.

“You knew it was Daryl all along an’ you didn’t see the problem with it?” She spat at her dad before turning a glare to Rick. “How can you not see anything wrong with this?”

“Beth is an adult, she is more than capable of making her own decisions.” Their dad told the eldest.

“What about the rest of you? Am I the only one who sees a problem here?” She scanned the group of council members for anybody who would side with her but nobody stepped forward.

“I talked to them Maggie.” Beth stood forward to face her sister. “I talked to them and told them what was goin’ on between me an’ Daryl.”

“And Glenn?” She turned head to see him look away guiltily.

“I never-” Daryl cut off Beth.

“I talked to ‘im. Told ‘im not to say anythin’ ‘fore I got a chance to talk to you.” She had known that he had left to find Glenn, but didn’t know that he had managed to talk to him.

“And you didn’t tell me! You knew how I felt about this!”

“He wanted to be the one to tell you, I thought I could at least give him that.” Glenn defended.

“Was this before or after he screwed around on her?” Maggie retorted snidely.

“After.” Glenn mumbled out.

“I never screwed around!” Daryl spat out.

“I heard Beth talkin’ ‘bout it!” Daryl looked to Beth who just shook her head. “She an’ dad were-”

“ _That_ was a private conversation Maggie, ‘tween me an’ your sister. It don’t matter what you heard you won’t be repeating it here in front of everyone. This is a personal situation that needs to be handled between the parties involved, not for everyone to see.” Hershel took the reigns’, deciding the best course of action to handle the matter. “Rick, everyone, I’d thank you all if you could see yourselves out.”

      The room emptied quickly and all that remained were Beth, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn and Hershel.  Tension was thick in the confined space, the last time Beth and Daryl had been in the room hadn’t been exactly the greatest moment between them. Maggie was fearless as she stared down anybody who dared to look in her direction, she was out for blood and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to get it.

“Maggie, what’s goin’ on?” She let out a bark of laughter.

“Are you really asking me that dad? What’s goin’ on is I find out that _Daryl_ was the one with Beth, he used her and hurt her, and left her for somebody else!”

“That’s not what happened?” Beth defended.

“It’s not? Cause from what I’m hearin’ Beth, an’ from what I heard from you in dads’ room, is that he walked out with that woman he brought back and fucked her.” Maggie spoke so calmly it belied her true emotions.

“That’s not what happened. He didn’t have sex with her.” The brunette scoffed.

“So you were cryin’ in Daddy’s arms because he _didn’t_ have sex with somebody else?” She tore her gaze from Beth to Daryl. “So you didn’t have sex with her?” When he shook his head she pressed on, “ _Were_ you gonna have sex with her?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“You don’t have to lie to her Daryl.” Beth told him meekly.

“I ain’t lyin’!” Looking at Beth his jaw ticked, there was so much that hadn’t been said between them that needed to come out, but now was not the time.

“We aren’t here to talk about their problems, we’re here to talk about your problem with Daryl an’ why you felt the need to punch him.” Hershel intervened.

“I punched him because he deserved it! He deserves a lot worse an’ you know it! He hurt Beth, as much as she says she’s an adult an’ gettin’ involved with him was her idea, he hurt her! I’d’ve done the same if it were anyone else.” It was true, anybody who hurt her sister had crossed a line and Maggie would always be there to rally around her, leading the charge at whoever had wronged her.

“Maggie, I don’t need you defending me. I’m taking care of it.”

“Taking care of it? How exactly are you taking care of it Beth? Are you really considering continuing whatever you have going on with him?”

“I…I don’t know. But I don’t need you tellin’ me what I should or shouldn’t do Maggie. This is my life, I get to make my own choices an’ if you think they’re wrong you can tell me, but it’ll still be my decision in the end.”

“You’re making a mistake Beth, can’t you see he-” Beth cut her off.

“If I’m making a mistake then let me make it! What’s the worst that can happen?” She looked towards her father who just nodded his head and he continued. “If I choose to stay with Daryl and he hurts me, I’ll be the one who punches him! Then if you wanna have a crack at him, be my guest. But my point is, let me find out if it’s a mistake or not.” The room was silent for several moments.

“Is there anythin’ else you wanna say Maggie?”

“If you do anythin’ to hurt her, I won’t hesitate puttin’ a bullet in your head. Consequences be damned.” Daryl nodded his head, he knew her threat wasn’t empty.

“Anythin’ else to say? No? Good, the rest of you leave, me an’ Daryl need to have a long overdue talk.”

When the door closed behind the last person out Hershel shuffled his way to Daryl, he was greeted with a quick blow to his face catching him off guard. Daryl knew he had no right to retaliate; this is what he had been expecting and would take his licks like a man.

“Son, I told you not to hurt my daughter an’ yet it’s the first thing you do as soon as you get back. What the hell were you thinkin’? In life there are some things ya gotta fight for an’ this was one of those things but ya threw that out the window.” Hershel was livid, the anger in his voice bounced off the walls.

“Fuckin’ hell I know!” His eyes watered on their own accord as he held his nose as Hershel nursed his own tender knuckles, it had been years since the man had needed to throw a punch.

“You say you know, but I don’ think you do. You need to think long an’ hard about what it is you want from my lil girl, an’ when you find out what that is, you best pray that she’s willin’ to forgive your dumbass. Now I don’ think Maggie should make everythin’ you do her business, but it _is_ her business to make sure you’re treatin’ Beth right, just like it’s my business that you’re doin’ right by Beth. I ain’ gonna lie to ya son, you’re on the shit list right now an’ if you ever want to get back in my good graces your best bet is to make things right with Beth. Whatever she wants is what its gonna take, I’ve talked to my girl, an’ the only reason you ain’ laid out for the buzzards is because of her, so you better get on your hands an’ knees next time you see her. Keep in mind, it don’ take three strikes for me to take you out son, one more _mistake,_ you do one more thing to hurt my girl, an’ I’ll make sure you don’ get another chance. Do you understand?”

“Yea, I understand.” Daryl had a hard time looking Hershel in the eye. He felt shame run through him, he had let down a person who’d given him a chance, something few had done before.

“Good!” Hershel gave him a shove towards the door, ending their conversation.

* * *

      When Beth looked up from her breakfast of runny oatmeal to see Daryl sitting across from her with two black eyes she didn’t know what to think. When she had left him in the care of her father he had only had a swollen cheek from Maggie, now he looked thoroughly beaten and was having trouble believing her father had anything to do with it. She didn’t say anything to him but gave him a small smile that looked more like a grimace on her part, she didn’t feel like asking him what happened to his face would be appropriate. From the corner of her eye she could see people watching them interact, having witnessed what had happened she knew that rumors were flying concerning what had happened and linking new rumors with old.

“How’d you sleep?” His voice was gruff and caught her by surprise, he had never really conversed with her publically before.

“Alright, woke up an' had a hard time going back to bed.”

“Why’s that?”

“Just been having some problems sleepin’, maybe its stress.” Daryl felt guilty hearing that he sleep was being affected by everything that was going on, truth be told he was in the same boat.

      They made small talk, neither of them speaking about what was really on their minds, instead asking about the weather and how training was going. Beth found that she enjoyed talking to Daryl, even though she still had many questions about where they stood, they fell into a comfortable banter back and forth. This continued for about a week until Daryl left for a hunting trip, that’s when she found herself missing his company and hoping he was staying safe outside the safety of the prison. She never understood why he went out on hunts alone, only Michonne and he were allowed to venture out alone and Beth thought that maybe that should change.

      She’d been in her cell writing in her journal when he found himself at her doorway looking pleased with himself. She closed the book and stood up to walk to him, stopping herself from getting too close, not yet ready to invade his personal space once more.

“What’s got you lookin’ like the fox that’s gotten into the chicken coop?” His smile was catching and she couldn’t stop herself from grinning back.

“Got somethin’ I wanna show you.” Her eyebrow quirked up but he grabbed her arm, leading her out into the yard.

      The sun was setting over the treetops as he led her to the side of the prison where Flame was being temporarily kept while they decided on whether or not to build a pen for her. When she saw the saddle resting on the chestnut mare she couldn’t help the excitement that coursed through her. Walking quickly towards the mare she couldn’t believe it, she was saddled and her reigns tied to the mirror of a spare vehicle, keeping her from wandering.

“Where did you get this?” She checked that everything was secure before looking towards Daryl, silently asking if it would be alright for her to mount the horse.

“A farm not too far.” Beth scoffed, she knew from eavesdropping that the nearest farm was miles away. “Why don’t you hop up?”

      She didn’t need any more than that to take the reins and step up, swinging herself into the seat of the saddle. Flame took a couple of steps forward as they both adjusted themselves to one another, Beth had missed this. She left Daryl to walk with Flame through the yard a couple of times before taking her back, if she had her way she’d be out there all night riding but knew better. Dismounting she took the saddle off and pat down the mare.

“Thank you Daryl.” She looked at him, “I know it’s for the group, but thank you for lettin’ me have this. Even if it’s just for a lil while.” She played with her fingers, wanting to give him a hug and kiss as thanks but stopped herself. She didn’t know where they stood with one another, everything had been laid out in the open but they had yet to broach the subject, both scared that if they did, things would be over. With an awkward wave she said goodnight and left Daryl.

* * *

 

 “C’mon, quit draggin’ your ass, I wanna get this done ‘fore it gets too hot out.” Rick walked ahead as Daryl dragged behind, carrying salvaged two by fours.

      Today they were finally going to build a shelter for the resident horse next to the pigs. They had planned it out during breakfast and were giving themselves two days to complete it, not wanting to push it all into one day. They were quiet, working together efficiently making good progress. Daryl looked up about to ask Rick to pass the bucket of nails when he caught him watching him work.

“Wha’?” Rick just continued to look.

“Why’d you do it?” Daryl looked at his hammer before hitting the head of the nail fully into the board.

“Didn’t do nothin’.”

“Don’ give me that. I’ve been where Beth is, I know how much it hurts to think of somebody else with the one you love. Thank god I didn’t have to actually see it like she did. You don’t hurt the ones you love Daryl.”

Daryl set the hammer down, knowing that he might do something stupid if he didn’t.

“What if they hurt you first?” Rick didn’t expect that and was quiet for a moment.

“It doesn’t matter. If they hurt you, you tell them, you don’t go off with somebody else.”

“She’s been pullin’ away. Before she would come fin’ me. We’d fool aroun’, maybe talk some. Now she don’t even come with a cup of coffee for me when I’m on night watch. I know she still does it for everyone else though.”

“I know a thing or two ‘bout pullin’ away. Never forgave Lori while she was still here…it’s somethin’ I regret. I never knew why she did what she did, don’t know if I could’ve forgiven her if she were still here honestly, but maybe I could’ve given her a chance to explain, given her a chance to _earn_ my forgiveness. You gotta earn her forgiveness Daryl, maybe it’s time you step up and do some legwork in the relationship? When me an’ Lori got into it, I’d come home with flowers, or jewelry, then we’d go out an’ talk ‘bout it.”

“Flowers?” Rick shook his head.

“What did she tell you she wants?”

After pausing to think, Daryl came up with an answer. “Said she wanted me.”

“That’s a start.” Rick handed the bucket of nails over to Daryl who took them. “Now pass me another board, I don’ wanna be out in this damn heat any more than I have to.”

      Daryl thought about what Rick had said, he was trying to make things right with Beth but he needed to realize that it wasn’t something that was going to happen overnight. He needed to take his time and prove to Beth that he deserved another chance and that he wanted to make things work.

* * *

       Beth was grateful Michonne decided to continue her training, she had begun forcing herself to eat and found her stomach tended to settle with some food in it, as long as she ate smaller more frequent meals. The women who rotated cooking duties didn’t seem to mind, often portioning out her meals to coincide with her new eating habits. It amazed Beth to think how far she’d come since she started working with Michonne, now she was able to run longer without needing to stop and was even developing tone in her legs and arms. Along with her newfound abilities came a boost in her confidence, she knew what she was capable of wanted the group to see her as the adult she was.

“When can I go on a run?” Beth asked the older woman as they shared a water bottle, cooling down from their usual laps around the yard.

“When I think you’re ready.”

“When’s that gonna be?” She received a noncommittal hum in response which frustrated her. She’d seen many of the young prison members going out and coming back with exciting stories about their run ins with walkers while out scavenging.

“I’m ready, you know I am.” Michonne looked Beth up and down and she immediately felt self-conscious under her strong gaze.

“Maybe…we’ll see.” It was a start and the petite girl knew that with enough prodding she would finally be able to step foot outside the prison walls.

      After walking to the shaded pavilion that housed tables and chairs to eat at, Beth sat down and watched Carol flipping over pieces of meat that Daryl had brought back from a short hunting trip. He had told her it was getting harder and harder to find small game, squirrels which were once a plentiful backyard pest, were now fewer in numbers now that there were no longer any regulations when it came to hunting. The sun was at the highest point which meant lunch was going to be served as soon as Carol deemed it done, Beth sat down at an empty table, watching the familiar faces chatting about things the comings and goings of prison life.

“I’m sorry.” She turned to see Zach situating himself in the chair next to her.

“For what?” It had been a long time since they had talked and she had no clue what he was referring to.

“You know…with what happened. I have a tendency of letting my mouth run before my brain can piece two and two together. Maybe if I hadn’t said anything your blowout with Maggie wouldn’t have been so…” He couldn’t find the right words to describe the fiasco that had went down.

“It’s alright, I never blamed you for anything.”

“Really?” He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “So, how’re you an’ Maggie doing?”

“I don’t know. I’m trying to give her time to come back down from it but…” Beth shook her head, “I think I’m just gonna have to bite the bullet and do it.”

“Ah…how about you and...” He let the sentence hang unfinished knowing she’d know who exactly he was talking about.

“We’re…alright.”

“Are you guys still together?”

“Kinda, it’s a work in progress. We’re trying to get back to where we were.” Carol yelled out that lunch was ready and those closest began lining up while those who were further began making their way in.

“So…did you know what he did before?”

“What do you mean, what did he do?” Her brows furrowed.

“No,” he laughed at her confusion, “did Daryl ever tell you what he did before this whole.” He gestured to the prison and Beth laughed.

“No, I have no clue.”

“Take a guess, what do you think he did before doomsday?” She thought about his skills and personality, trying to piece together a likely occupation for the gruff hunter.

“Maybe a park ranger?”

“Hey, yea! That’s a good one, didn’t think about that. The way he knows how to track and do just about everything when it comes to the outdoors, that totally makes sense.” She smiled at his excitement and wondered where he was going with this.

“Daryl!” Her heart sped up as her head turned and she watched Daryl approach the pair, wiping his dirty hands on a rag.

“What?” He stood looking down at them and Beth gave him a small smile. He wanted to return it but was busy fighting down the feelings of jealousy seeing the young pair together.

“Where you a park ranger?”

“A park ranger?” A smirk drew across his face.

“Yea, I so see you wearing those green pants and the hat. You know how to track. You can hunt. Do you know how to fish? Ooh! I remember hearing people fishing with bows, do you know how to do that?” Zach was buzzing with excitement, Daryl  completely fit the mold of ranger.

“You got me. Used to be a _ranger_ , catching poachers an’ all that shit.” The excitement was gone and Zach looked disappointed, knowing that Daryl was just stringing him along. Luckily he wouldn’t take the bait, at least not this time.

“You know one of these days I’m gonna get it right.”

“Sure you are kid.”

       Beth watched the interaction between the two men and felt a feeling of contentment settle within her. Daryl was slowly opening up to the group and instead of biting off Zach’s head for prying into his pre-apocalyptic life, he was interacting with the younger man; allowing Zach to guess and even teasing him. It might seem small to some people, but Beth realized that for Daryl, it was a big step. He was making an effort to open up instead of keeping everybody at arms distance and Beth felt a spark of hope that maybe Daryl was genuine in his efforts.

* * *

       Sitting down across from Beth for breakfast had become routine for Daryl, as he dropped his plate down on the table watching as she looked up to meet his gaze.

“Mornin’ Daryl.”

“We need to talk. Meet me in the library tonight?” Beth frowned, it was something they used to do when Daryl had been keeping her a secret and it didn’t sit well with her that they might be going back to old habits.

“Please Beth.” She looked at him and saw the desperation on his face.

“Ok.” She conceded. They both looked up to see Michonne take her seat next to Beth, something else that had become routine.

“How’s trainin?” Daryl changed the subject.

“Goin’ alright, gonna head out to the yard after breakfast, wanna get my run in before the sun gets too high an’ it gets too hot.”

“You ain’ runnin’ today.” Michonne said causing the small woman to look at her.

“Am I startin’ somethin’ else?” Part of Beth was excited to be starting whatever Michonne had up her sleeve.

“Yea, I talked it over with Rick, we’re going out.”

“What do you mean ‘out’?” Daryl stared at Michonne like she’d lost her mind.

“I’m takin’ her outside the fence for her trainin’ today.” The dark woman explained to the gruff redneck.

“Like on a run?” Beth asked excitedly.

“Not a run…but there’s a difference between killin’ walkers through a fence an’ doin’ it face to face without a barrier. When you got one stumblin’ towards you, your body goes into fight or flight an’ I need you to be able to push past flight an’ slip into fight. I’ll be with you but you’ll be the one doin’ the killin’.”

“Like hell she’s goin’ out there!” Daryl told the dreaded woman.

“She needs to learn, if she’s gonna be goin’ out on runs I want her prepared.”

“Who the hell says she’s gonna be goin’ on runs?” The thought of Beth outside the fence with the walkers scared him, though he wouldn’t admit that do her.

“Daryl! That’s what I’ve been working towards. I want to contribute more to the group.” Beth explained

“You contribute just fine here. Taking care of Judith, laundry, all that keeps this prison workin’!”

“I _want_ to do more.” She pressed, wanting him to see where she was coming from.

“When’re you two goin’, ‘cause I’m comin’ too.”

“Don’t you have other things to do around here?” Michonne drawled out.

“It can wait, how’re you supposed to take care of her out there when you gotta have one eye on your surroundin’s an’ one on her. Don’t ya even think? She could get hurt out there an’-“

“Don’t you talk to me about hurting her!” Michonne replied in a low voice, not wanting to attract people into their conversation. “I know how to take care of myself an’ I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

“Yea you can take care of yourself, but things change when you have to watch out for somebody else!”

“Stop it, both of you. I’m going out Daryl, if you wanna come that’s fine, if not, that’s fine too.

“We’re leavin’ in ten, no shorts, put on pants, an’ a long sleeve top you don’t mind gettin’ dirty, things have a tendency of getting’ messy out there.” Beth nodded, shoveling the grits that were left on her place quickly into her mouth before running off to change.

      As she walked down towards Michonne and Daryl she watched them exchange heated words, she didn’t know what they were talking about but she could assume it was about last night. Daryl ran a frustrated hand through his scraggly hair and nodded his head at something Michonne said, his entire posture going from defensive to deflated. They looked up when they heard her steps and she gave them a small smile, she was nervous. Her stomach was doing flips and her hands were shaking even though they hadn’t stepped foot outside the gate yet.

“When we get out there you’re gonna stay between me an’ Daryl. We’re gonna get you to a to the fork in the road, ‘bout a mile or two ahead. Should only be scragglers out there, it’s open to where we can see anythin’ approaching. Stay quiet, keep your weapon on you at all times, understand?”

“Yea, I got it.” Her palms where sweating as she gripped the tire iron, it was light enough to not weigh her down but could still take down walkers.

“If somethin’ happens don’t do anythin’ stupid.” Daryl told her, adjusting his crossbow in his arms. “A herd or somethin’ comes along stay close, we don’ need you runnin’ off. We’ll get out of there together an’ get back here.” She nodded, her heart hammering in her chest at the thought of a herd, the last one she’d seen had been so big it had taken the farm in a matter of minutes.

“Ready?” Asked Michonne.

    As they stepped towards the gate that would lead them out into the world beyond the prison Beth saw Maggie, chains for the gate in her hands. Mouthing good luck to her younger sister she opened the world to them when Michonne gave the order, sword in hand. They quickly exited, Michonne clearing the way as Daryl brought up the rear, keeping them moving down the dirt road til the prison was out of sight. Looking around her Beth could only see woods on either side of the road, it was quiet, only the sound of birds chirping filled the air. This was the first time she’d been outside the prison walls since they’d first found the place and it made her jumpy, there wasn’t the safety of a barrier between her and the walkers anymore.

“You doin’ alright?” Daryl asked, noticing the shake of her hands from the adrenaline pumping through her system, all he got was a nod of her head, she didn’t trust herself to speak.

      It took them roughly half an hour to reach the end of the dirt road that met with the main paved highway. Looking down both sides there was a  group of three walkers who looked like they were eating something, Beth felt her stomach roll at the thought of them having caught somebody. Michonne looked at Daryl who nodded, silently conveying to one another what they were going to do.

“Watch them, remember what you’ve been doin’. Are they newly turned or older? They’ve just eaten so they’ll have some energy in ‘em. Daryl’s gonna stay with you, keep an eye on our backs. I’m gonna move ahead, take out two.” She explained quietly to Beth who never tore her gaze from the small group of reanimated bodies. “I’ll lead the third one over. Can you do this?” Beth nodded and jumped when Michonne got in her face, her brown eyes searching her blue. “Can you do this Beth?”

“Yea…yes…I can do this.” Beth felt a new rush of adrenaline as Michonne quietly jogged forward, decapitating one walker before she had the attention of the other two. While they struggle to stand she killed the second one, walking backwards to draw the third forward.

      Blue eyes took in the sight. The walker was older, skin falling off revealing bone, a quick shuffle that reminded her of a drunk, it wouldn’t take that hard of a blow to kill it. As Michonne passed behind her Beth raised her hand preparing to strike the walker with his arms stretched out towards her. Her mind raced, what if it grabbed her, what if her blow wasn’t strong enough? As it drew nearer she set her stance, knees bent slightly and thrust the crowbar down into the skull of the walker. It dropped with a quiet thud as Beth pulled the weapon from the skull without any resistance.

      Stepping back from the body she felt her hand go slack, dropping her weapon with a clang. She heard Daryl curse as she turned and heaved, emptying the contents of her stomach in front of the two. She didn’t know if to blame the food that never seemed to settle, the nerves, or maybe a combination of the two, but as she finished spitting the bile from her mouth she gratefully took the bottle of water offered to her.

“You did good. Next time’ll be easier, maybe try without the puking.” Michonne told her, her eyes darting around them.

“Is that it?” Beth asked, wondering if they had come all the way out here for just one kill.

“We can wait a bit, see if any others come along.” Michonne told her, looking at Daryl who nodded.

“You feelin’ better?” Daryl asked her as they stood around, watching the tree line and road for any movement indicating a walker. She didn’t want to tell him her stomach was still rolling and the only reason she wasn’t hunched over was because there was nothing for her belly to bring up.

“I’m good.” Her senses were still on overdrive but standing between the two she felt better than when both were behind her.

      They waited and when nothing presented itself to them they took off back towards the prison keeping Beth protected between them. The snap of a branch in the wood caused them to stop, all three heads turning towards the sound. The crunch of leaves beneath feet had all three weapons poised for attack when a small boy came out of the woods, stumbling towards them, eyes glazed white.

“Can you do this?” Michonne asked, giving her the chance to say no. She knew she didn’t have the luxury to pick and choose, if she were out on her own and in a life or death situation she was going to eventually have to come to grips with it. But Beth didn’t get the opportunity to answer when a bolt pierced the boys head, stopping him in his tracks. They watched as he pulled the bolt from the body and wiped the blood off on his jeans to clean it off.

“What the hell was that?” Michonne gave his shoulder a shove. “We’re out here so _Beth_ can get used to making the kill!”

“She ain’ ready for that.” Daryl defended his decision. “She’d of been torn ‘tween doin’ it an’ not an’ we’d’ve had to step in anyway. Was jus’ one step ahead.”

“She’s gonna have to do it eventually!”

“Ain’ gonna be today!” A groan caught their attention as they saw Beth hunched over, dry heaving. “C’mon, let’s get ‘er back, have Dr. S. take a look at her.”

* * *

      Daryl wasn’t sure if Beth would remember to meet him in the library after everyone had gone to bed, but when she walked through the doors he breathed a sigh of relief. He took in the site of her, she was dressed in shorts and tank top, hair piled into a messy bun, she looked good. Pushing back thoughts of them recreating their night in the library he wanted to know how she was doing after her first experience leaving the prison.

“How’re you feelin’?”

“Alright. A lot to process goin’ out there.” She kept her distance from him and it upset him.

“Yea, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Why’d you do it?” Daryl’s heart hammered in his chest, this was the opening he needed to tell Beth what had really happened.

“Why’d you kill it…the boy…instead of lettin’ me do it?”

“Cause I knew you weren’t ready for that.” Beth took a step towards him.

“I’m going to have to be ready for it Daryl. If I’m out there and somethin’ happens, no matter who the walkers were before, I have to be able to take them down.”

“Do you think you could’ve done it?” Daryl wanted to know if he had stepped in too early and taken down the walker when she was capable of doing it.

“I…I don’t know.”

“You’ve been clearin’ the line, how many young’uns do you see pressed against the fence?” Beth tried to answer him, she thought about the countless days she’d been out there dispatching walker after walker but couldn’t recall having to kill any that appeared to be younger than herself, something she was now grateful for.

“Goin’ out on runs, it’s hard Beth. I don’ want you to see the things I’ve seen. Clearin’ houses. Why do you think there aren’t any kids tryin’ to get atcha?” Beth shook her head, she had no clue. “From what I know…their parents.”

“What do you mean?” Did he mean that the parents were keeping their kids safe or maybe once they turned they ended their reanimation?

“Must be somethin’ else for a parent to know that their chances o’ survivin’ in this world is so damn low. Worese yet, their kids chances o’ surviving.” Daryl shook his head. “Some of ‘em’ll do anythin’ for their kid, even…” He trailed off giving her a pointed stare.

“Even what?”

“Even stoppin’ them from ever havin’ to go through one day o’ this shit.”

Beth digested what he was telling her, “That’s awful.”

Daryl nodded in agreement. “It’s not somethin’ you should see. Not somethin’ you should want to see. I know it would’ve bothered ya if ya had done it today.”

“It doesn’t bother you.” Beth countered.

“Maybe.”

“Does it? Does it still get to you?” She watched him as he seemed to get lost in memories. “Did…did you have a kid Daryl?”

That broke him from his thoughts and he snorted, “Nah, never had a kid.”

“I just thought…with how you are with Judith that maybe you lost one.”

“With Asskicker…she’s…” He didn’t know how to explain his bond with the baby. “I see the world and I know she can’t do anythin’ to take care of herself. She needs protectin’, so that’s what I do.”

“But that’s what Rick is for, and Carl.”

“Sometimes you can’t depend on family.” Daryl looked at her, a war raging in his head as to whether or not to let her into his world. “Merle, he was blood…but he left when I needed him…left me with an ol’ man who took out his bad day on my hide. Wha’s one more person lookin’ out for ‘er gonna hurt?”

They stayed quiet for a moment, neither one knowing what to say.

“So what’s up with you an’ the kid?”

“Zach? He’s a good friend to have Daryl. We’ve just been talking, he lets me vent.”

“So there’s nothin’ goin’ on?”

When Beth nodded he closed the step between them, and slowly bent down, lowering his lips to her own. It had been so long since he had tasted her lips that he couldn’t help himself from sweeping his tongue along her lips asking for entrance. Beth denied his entrance and pulled back from him.

“I’m sorry Daryl, I just….it’s too soon.” Daryl didn’t say anything, just pulled out his pack of cigarettes.

“We’re not allowed to smoke in here Daryl, the kids.” Daryl palmed the lighter and cigarette.

“You’re right. ‘m gonna go outside an’ get some air.”

      He left in a hurry before Beth could stop him. She hadn’t meant to push him away, they needed to talk before she invested herself too much, she didn’t want to be put in that position again.

      Carol watched from her position up in the tower as her longtime confidant angrily inhaled deeply and knew he needed somebody to vent with, no matter how hard he would deny it. She descended quickly and approached him quietly, settling in next to him before he even noticed her there. It was a sign that whatever he was thinking about had him so focused on his thoughts that he was ignoring his surroundings, very unlike him. She didn’t even receive a proper hello from him, just a grunt that she couldn’t interpret.

“What’s got you lookin’ so sour Pookie?” She gently nudged his shoulder as he tried to shy away from her.

“I’ve been tryin’.” Carol nodded her head knowing that this was going to be a talk about what was going on between himself and the young blond. The gossip had trickled out, the topic of Daryl and Beth becoming old news relatively quickly.

“I know.” She wasn’t going to pry, instead she was going to rely on his need to talk.

“She won’ even let me touch her anymore. It’s like she’s holdin’ back.” He finished his cigarette quickly and pulled out another one, lighting it with the first before snuffing it out completely.

“She’s hurting Daryl.” It hadn’t been too long ago, but Carol was familiar with how long a young girl was able to hold a grudge. “It ain’t gonna be easy, she saw you in a way no woman wants to see. And for you to leave with Amber in front of her…you knew what that would do, how it would hurt.”

“She ended it Carol!” He was angry and she could see the hurt in his blue eyes as he tried to cover his true feelings. “If she didn’t want it to end, she couldn’ve stopped herself from walking away! Hell, wasn’t like I was going to do anythin’ with that woman anyway.”

“Don’t lie to my Daryl.” He’d always been honest with her and she wasn’t about to let him change that now.”

“Just what did you see Carol?” He alternated between chewing his thumb and inhaling the nicotine filled smoke from his cigarette.

“You were with Amber in the warden’s office.”

“Yea, and did you see her down on her knees? Bent over the desk?”

“No, but-” He interrupted her.

“But what? _What_ did you see?”

      He was pressing her and she knew he was getting at something so she humored him and thought back to what she had walked in on. She knew what she _didn’t_ see. She didn’t have to watch Amber pull away from Daryl. There was no embarrassing grasp for clothing or to cover themselves. They’d been feet apart now that she really thought about it. She had been so angry that Daryl was about to self-sabotage and take down one of the best things to come along for himself-his relationship with Beth.

“You _said_ , you said you and her were gonna-“

“I know what I said damnit! What, only women are allowed to have a fuckin’ monopoly on sayin’ fucked up things when they’re pissed?” He ran a hand through his hiar as he let out an agitated breath.

“Then tell me Daryl. Tell me what happened in there?”

“She’d come up ‘fore I could leave, was gonna see ‘bout hittin’ some of the whiskey we have in the med area. Didn’t expect the broad to throw herself at me. But then I saw Beth watchin’, I saw her an’ I wanted her to regret what she did, I wanted her to feel…” He cut himself off, not wanting to finish his sentence. “Don’t matter. I took off with Amber, said she wanted to head someplace quiet, so I took her to the office. Jumped me when we got there, sayin’ how grateful she was an’ shit.” He came to the end of his second cigarette and as he looked into his rapidly depleting pack, decided to call it quits for now.

“For the life of me I can’t remember when she got my pants undone, but all I could think about was Beth. An’ when she started to take off her top that’s when I knew I didn’t want it.” He scoffed. “What kinda man turns down free pussy? Merle woulda laughed his ass off, callin’ me some fairy bitch who couldn’t get it up for a woman who was beggin’ for it. Think she knew too. Apologizing sayin’ she didn’t know.”  

      Daryl couldn’t take it anymore he needed the relief that came from lighting up yet another smoke. There was something therapeutic about it he thought, when things went bad before, he always had a cigarette between his lips, now that he was relieving one of his worst experiences he needed the calming effect of a cigarette.

“Can you believe it? _She_ apologized to me! An’ that’s when I figured it out.” He shook his head chuckling to himself defeated.

“What did you figure out Daryl?” Her voice was calm and collected as she watched Daryl fighting to maintain control of all the emotions that were threatening to bubble forth.

“She was right. Beth was fuckin’ right.”

“What was she right about?”

“Me keepin’ her a fuckin’ secret!” He lashed out harshly at Carol and she took it, understanding that he wasn’t angry at her, but himself. “What did it get me? I had it up in my head that if word got out about what the two of us were up to I’d fuck myself over with the group. But by keepin’ her hid an’ hidin’ back in the shadows while she tried pullin’ strings to get us out in the open, I fucked myself ten times over.”

“Why didn’t you tell her Daryl? Why didn’t you explain that, I’m sure that Amber would have talked to her, told her what you were sayin’ was true.”

“Didn’ think to Carol. When she punched me, actin’ all hurt ‘bout it. I couldn’t stop thinkin’, why did _she_ get to be the one who pissed and acting all hurt? She ended it!”

He began to pace and Carol stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t shut down on me, why did you tell Beth you were going to have sex with Amber?”

“Damnit Carol! _She_ ended it! She didn’t _want_ me!”

“You keep sayin’ that, ‘she ended it.’ Why is that so important to you?”

“Cause it is! Cause maybe I…” Daryl bit the inside of his cheek stopping himself.

“You what?” She was going to pull this from him even if it took all night.

“Maybe I didn’t want it to be over! Maybe I wanted her to feel half as bad as she made me feel when she walked away.” A shock induced silence settled between the pair as Daryl tried to inhale but had reached the opposite end of his filter.

“You need to tell her Daryl, you need to tell her everything.”

“What good’ll it do? She’s already checked out.”

“I think you’re wrong. It won’t hurt to put yourself out there Daryl. What do you have left to lose?”

      Daryl clenched his fist and tightened his jaw, nodding in agreement. He never would have believed that without Beth in his life things would have gone to shit like they had. He hadn’t realized that during their late night trysts and conversations between he would have formed a bond with the woman. He had heard her telling him that she wanted to be with him, and while he didn’t fight her on it, it took a giant wakeup call for him to understand that he wanted to be with her just as badly.

* * *

       Daryl was busy reinforcing the fence with wire along some of the links that looked to be wearing down, looking up periodically to make sure that there weren’t any walkers to catch him off guard. It was the crunching of loose rocks under boots that ended up catching his attention and he wiped a brow, watching Beth approaching him timidly. He hated seeing her like this, he knew the confident woman that she had become and for her to revert back to the shy girl from the farm wasn’t right.

“Whatcha need?” He pulled the leather work gloves off his hands and pocketed them, giving her his full attention.

“Carol told me you needed to see me.” She shifted from one foot to the other as Daryl cursed the older woman mentally for interfering.

“Yea…guess I did need to talk to you.” Beth watched as he drew nearer and nearer to her, her heart beating wildly, her body craving his own.

“I said some things. Things that weren’t exactly true.” Her head felt light, what could he have told her that wasn’t true? Maybe he had decided that he didn’t want to be with her anymore.

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that I was never gonna have sex that night.” He looked her in the eye and Beth wondered how he was able to tell such a lie while so straight faced.

“I saw her buttoning her top Daryl.” He nodded his head in agreement.

“She never even got her top off Beth.

“Then why did you tell-” He didn’t let her finish.

“Cause I was mad! You’d been tellin’ me you had all these feelings and how you wanted us to be together then-”

“Why’re you talkin’ like I still don’t want us to be together Daryl?” He was talking in the past tense and she didn’t like it.

“Cause it feels like it’s over Beth. For good this time.” She felt the tears in her eyes and couldn’t stop them from falling from her cheeks.

“What do you mean it’s over? I thought we were gonna work on us. You’ve been opening up, I thought-“

“That’s just it Beth, I am tryin’ but you’ve seemed to just…shut me out.”

      He now began understanding. This was exactly how Beth had felt, for all the months that Daryl had told her he just wasn’t ready to go public, she had felt walled out and left to fend for their relationship by herself. He swore to himself under his breath. He had been struggling for the past month dealing with the feelings of uncertainty and the thoughts plaguing him as to whether or not Beth felt anything for him anymore and yet she had been strong enough to deal with it for more than a few months.

“I’m sorry.” Her eyes widened hearing him apologize to her. “I’m sorry for what I put you through. I didn’t know...if I knew then what I know now I never woulda put you through this. I hope you believe me.”

“What’re you sayin’ Daryl?” Was this really the end?

“I’m sayin’ I’m willin’ to suck it up for as long as it takes Beth. But I need you start lettin’ me back in. I need you to trust that I didn’ do anythin’ with that woman, an’ I only wan’ you.”

“If I ask Amber, will she tell me the same thing?” Daryl nodded.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yes ok, but don’t think that we’re back to where we were. It’s going to take time before we go back to being intimate.”

“I can manage.” He croaked out, not wanting to push his luck.

      He was caught off guard when she flung herself into his arms and embraced him. They were out in the open, anybody could look down and see them, and it didn’t bother him. He let his arms tighten around her as he enjoyed the feeling of her back in his arms where she belonged. It didn’t matter to him how long it took for them to go back to having sex, as long as she continued to accept him back in her life he was satisfied.

* * *

“So did you hear?”

“What?”

“I’m goin’ on the next run.” Zach was excited as he told Beth about being able to head out on the Big Spot supply run.

“How’d you manage that?” Beth was a little jealous that he had managed to go out when she’d been working so hard and still hadn’t been able to convince Michonne to let her go.

“Well, the council pulled back everyone on the cull crew from going on the run. They’re shorthanded right now. Figured I’d step up to help, and go with them.” Zach was clearly trying too hard to play it off and Beth rolled her eyes at his bragging. This was her chance though, Beth knew that with the prison being so short on able bodies she’d be able to get away with going out on the run.

“Who’d you talk into letting you go?” Maybe she’d have luck with whoever had told Zach he could tag along.

“Daryl.” Then again, maybe not. “You could ask Sasha or Tyreese, they’re both going.” He offered, knowing exactly what she was planning.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you wanted me to go on this run Zach.” Beth told him lightly.

“Well thank goodness you know better, huh?” He picked back, nudging her in the direction of Tyreese who was checking the vehicles.

      Her head held high Beth tried to exude all the confidence she could muster, with Tyreese the decision could go either way. He looked up from the car as he heard her approach and greeted her with a large smile.

“What can I do for ya?”

“It’s more of, what I can do for you.” She told him, beaming up at him. “Heard you were shorthanded and thought I’d offer to help. Michonne says I’ve been doin good.” Tyreese gave her a doubtful look as he glared up at Zach who was watching the exchange. As soon as he was caught he ducked down behind the truck that Daryl was busy loading.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Tyreese gave her the chance to back out but she wasn’t taking it. “If you’re sure you’re gonna have to ride in the truck with Daryl and Zach, this one’s full.”

“Alright.”

      Beth was nervous, she could feel her heart pounding like it was about to explode out of her chest. She didn’t know how she was going to tell Daryl that she was going on the run and had hoped that he didn’t find out until they were already out there and it was too late. As soon as she reached the truck she grabbed the door handle and opened it, preparing to hop in and join Zach who was already in, waiting to get moving.

“What the hell do ya think you’re doin’?” He demanded as he approached the passenger side of the silver truck.

“I’m going Daryl, I heard ya’ll were shorthanded with everybody working the fence.”

“Like hell you are!” He tried to pull her out of the vehicle but she wouldn’t budge.

“Everythin’ alright here?” Daryl turned to see Michonne looking at him. They had yet to speak about what had transpired between the blond and himself but he knew she was angry at him for hurting her.

“It will be as soon as she gets her as outta the damn truck.” He looked for backup from the dark woman.

“Tyreese said it was ok. You need people and I’m ready, I know I am. Please Michonne.” Blue eyes pleaded with the dreaded woman to support her on this and she was relieved when Michonne let out a sigh.

“Let’s all just get in the damn truck and head out. This is gonna be a simple in and out run after you set up that radio.” Daryl nodded his head, relieved that they had thought to draw away the majority of walkers with a boombox.

“Fine.”

* * *

       When the small caravan arrived at the Big Spot Shopping Center, they all piled out of the vehicles looking around them for any stray walker. In the distance the sound of music could be heard, and Daryl told them how he’d gone with a group to set it up, hooking the radio to a car battery. Everyone was armed and Beth gripped her tire iron tightly, it was the most familiar weapon and would hopefully keep her safe.

“So Daryl,” Zach looked at the scruffy man with a grin, “Okay, big swing here: homicide cop.”

Both Beth and Michonne burst into laughter but stopped when Daryl stayed quiet, waiting for him to say something.

“Actually, the man’s right. Undercover. It was some real undercover shit, I don't like to talk about it.” Daryl looked away from them as if lost in some memory.

“I guess I’ll just keep guessing I guess.” Zach said dismayed

“Yea you keep doin’ that.” Daryl told him with a chuckle.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Michonne told them once the building had been deemed clear.

“Hey Beth, stay close to me. I’ll keep you safe.” Zach whispered to Beth who had suddenly become nervous at the thought of entering the brick building.

      It was quiet in the store, the only sounds was the occasional scrape of something being pulled from a shelf. Beth made sure to stay close to Zach, shadowing his movements as they made their way down the aisle, clearing the shelves with anything they could use back at the prison. Beth watched as he didn’t bother to check expiration dates, instead he just shoved cans into his bag. They made it out of the aisle and into an open area that was lined with different displays, all were empty.

      A loud crash and sound of shattering glass made Beth jump and turn towards the origin of the commotion. Zach leapt into action leaving Beth to follow behind him as the roof started to cave in, Bob was pinned and Zach was holding up the shelf Beth reached out and grabbed Bob’s hand, helping him out and up onto his feet. Everything was moving so fast, everyone was yelling that they needed to get out and as Beth turned to leave she felt Zach grab onto her arm and  pull her down as he screamed in pain.

      She looked at him in horror as a walker had his leg and was dragging itself up his body, tearing into his neck. She screamed and tried to pry her arm free getting the attention from the walker and he began moving for her. She was yanked free and dragged out of the collapsing building, watching as a helicopter came crashing down and crushing Zach and the walker who had almost gotten her too. She was shaking like a leaf, unable to control the chills that continuously ran through her body. She barely registered Daryl speaking to her, unable to make out the words he was saying.

      Daryl held firmly onto Beth’s shoulders, his blue eyes raking over her form looking for any signs of fresh blood that might have come from a bite or scratch. Her clothes were rumpled and there were patches of dark blood that came from the walkers, nothing on her clothes indicated a fresh wound. While her outer appearance seemed to be fine, it appeared that she had checked out, her body was shaking and her eyes weren’t focusing on anything. From what he’d heard, this had happened once before to her, after they had cleared the barn on her families’ farm of walkers. Daryl felt his heart seize, he had heard that she had slit her wrists after, he didn’t want to imagine her doing something like that now.

“Beth, wha’s wrong? Are ya ok?” He tried to make eye contact but she just wouldn’t make the connection.

“Looks like she’s in shock.” Bob offered from the open door of Zach’s Dodge Charger.

“Beth, ya hear me? Gotta snap outta it, girl!” He shook her but she remained unresponsive to him.

“Daryl, we gotta go.” Sasha slammed the trunk after putting everything they’d managed to get in it. “Walkers’ll have heard the noise an’ start comin’.”

      As if on cue a small herd of walkers turned the corner down the road and began shuffling their way towards the remaining scouting party. Daryl nodded his head, running through multiple scenarios before barking orders to the group.

“You all take the Tucson, me an’ Beth’ll be behind ya’ll.” He moved Beth towards the other vehicle.

“Hey man, there are five of us. Why don’t I ride with you all, I can check her over while we head back?” Bob offered as he stepped towards the silver Dodge while Daryl buckled Beth into the passenger seat. Sasha grabbed his arm before he could get anywhere near the truck and shook her head at him. Before anyone else could protest being crammed together in one vehicle the moans of the approaching walkers had everyone scrambling to get into the light green SUV while Daryl shouted out to Tyreese who was getting behind the wheel.

“Don’ stop til ya get to the prison, understand?” Tyreese shouted a quick affirmative before both engines roared to life and tires squealed as they tore out of the walker infested area. Once they reached the open road the group let out a collective sigh of relief, they had lost one of their members and had been close to losing another but they had managed to make it out alive. Glenn kept glancing in the mirror, checking to make sure that the truck was behind them and he felt a sense of dread wash over him when it began slowing down to a stop. He turned around completely in his seat watching as distance accumulated between vehicles.

“We need to stop.” He turned to Tyreese who just gripped the steering wheel and continued to drive on.

“Can’t do that Glenn.”

“I’m gonna go see what’s wrong, maybe they need help.” He knew that Maggie would kill him if anything happened to his sister in law.

“You heard Daryl, we don’ stop til we reach the prison.” Glenn felt torn as he listened to Michonne, he knew it would be best if the group made it back, but he wanted _everyone_ back there. “Whatever it is tha’s goin’ on back there, Daryl’ll take care of it.” Glenn looked at her questioningly.

 “Daryl almos’ lost the single most important person in his life righ’ now. Give ‘em some time away from pryin’ eyes to deal with it.”

      As they pulled into the prison Maggie was on them in an instant, asking where the other vehicle was. When she finally noticed Beth wasn’t among them the yelling began, demanding to know where Beth was and why she wasn’t with them. People who were out in the yard looked towards them, wondering what had happened to the rest of the group. Glenn felt his stomach churn, the look on Maggie’s face was one of pure agony believing that she had lost her sister. He opened his mouth to answer her questions but closed it quickly, not sure how to tell her that Daryl and pulled over to deal with a comatose Beth.

“Where is she? Where is Beth?!” Maggie’s’ voice cracked, she knew her sister wasn’t ready for a run, if she had known Beth was leaving on this one she would have stopped her before they had left.

“She and Daryl stopped.” Glenn didn’t want to offer up any more information but Maggie had other plans.

“What do you mean they stopped? Why did they stop? Did something happen to the vehicle, are they ok?” Her words poured quickly from her lips. “Is Zach with them?”

“Zach didn’t make it Maggie, Daryl stopped to take care of Beth...” He tried to find the right words but Maggie cut him off.

“Take _care_ of her? Why would he need to take care of her…was she bit?”

“Look Maggie,” Sasha jumped in, saving Glenn from having to explain something he was rather uncomfortable sharing, “Beth had a close call, Daryl just wanted to make sure she was fine…I’m sure they won’t be too far behind us.”

 “Don’t worry, Daryl would never let anything happen to Beth, you should’ve seen him when we got out of that place…I’d never seen him so worried before.” Tyreese offered as he unloaded the vehicle, Maggie worried about where her sister was and if she was staying safe. She could only hope that Daryl was taking care of her baby sister.

* * *

      The vehicle rolled to a stop and Daryl cut the engine off before looking at the petite woman next to him. She wasn’t hysterical, no tears leaked from her eyes, she just looked like she had checked out. Moving his seat back as far as it would go he unbuckled her, pulling her body to his. He needed to feel her close, to know that she was still there with him.

“Beth, can ya hear me?” If she did, she didn’t let it show, her gaze pierced through him like he wasn’t even there.

“Beth? Beth!” He gave her a shake. “I need ya to come back to me Beth.” He kissed along her jawline, up her cheeks and across her forehead before trailing down to the tip of her nose.

“I can’t have ya checkin’ out on me.” His fingers gripped her hips tightly, “Beth, I’m here, I ain’t gonna let anything happen to ya. You’re my girl Beth; I take care of what’s mine…” He whispered the words in her ear. “You’re mine.”

      Beth sat on his lap, digesting his words as he continued to gently kiss her neck and face. When she had decided to come on the run she had been excited to put her training to use, but when the shit hit the fan she froze and if it hadn’t been for Daryl she wouldn’t be there with him. So many scenarios filtered through her brain, what if it had been her instead of Zach? What if it had been Daryl? Looking at him now he seemed so anxious to get a response from her, he was going through the same as she was. A wave of desperation washed over her, she needed him.

      When Daryl felt her lips crash onto his and pull him into a frantic kiss he responded in kind. It was a kiss filled with desire and need, both of them wanting to connect with the other, to convey their feelings through their lips and tongues. It wasn’t enough, before either of them knew what was happening Beth was shoving off Daryl’s vest and jacket, pulling at his shirt needing more contact, needing to feel his skin on her own. Daryl worked his shirt over his head as Beth yanked her own top off, leaving her to begin fumbling with his belt buckle.

      Beth gave up on his belt and struggled with her own jeans, her hands still shaking as she awkwardly shoved her pants down to her calves. Daryl wasted no time, yanking his buckle open and opening his fly, he lifted his hips and brought his pants down. With one hand he brought her lips back to his and with his other he stroked his hardening dick. When he felt he was hard enough he slipped a finger into Beth, making sure she was ready for him. He moaned into her mouth as he slid in easily, she was always ready for him. Positioning her over him he thrust his hips up into her causing her to cry out.

      His lips left hers as his mouth found its way to her cloth covered breast. Not even bothering to remove the material he bit down over it and she moaned. She set the pace, hard and fast as she rode him, grinding herself over him to get the friction she wanted. The car was hot as they moved together, the hair that managed to escape Beth’s ponytail was clinging to the sweat on her face and neck. Daryl’s mouth was all over Beth’s chest, leaving love bites everywhere he could reach. Panting Beth tugged on Daryl’s damp hair, grinning she lowered her head to the juncture of his neck and shoulder licking the salty perspiration from him.

       Beth picked up the pace, feeling her impending orgasm coming closer and closer. A slam on the window caused Beth to jump, a stray walker began banging on the glass to get in and she froze. Daryl looked at it and knew it didn’t have a chance of getting to them as he thrust into Beth causing her to moan once again.

“Daryl...” She hummed, “There’s a walker…” She resuming her grinding on his lap once more, if he didn’t see it as a threat she would trust his judgment.

“Ain’ gettin’ in ‘ere…” His eyes clenched shut when he felt her wet walls contract around him, his breathing coming in short pants. “Nobody’s gettin’ bit.”

 _That’s what you think_ , thought Beth as she felt herself reach her peak. Her jaw clamped shut on his shoulder harshly as her body spasmed with pleasure.

      A growl emerged from the pit of Daryl’s stomach at the feel of Beth’s teeth on him. His frenzied thrusts continued as he searched for his own release and before he knew it he was joining her, biting down on her own shoulder in retaliation. As they recovered from their activities, Daryl pulled Beth off of him and she moved back to the passenger seat.

      Checking the blind spots for anymore walkers Daryl jerked the car door open, slamming it into the growling walker. Getting out he slammed a knife into its head before pulling up his pants and wiping his brow. There weren’t any more walkers as he grabbed his shirt from the car pulling it back on, forgoing the jacket and vest. He glanced over to Beth and watched her slide her pants back up over her raised hips before reaching down to the floorboards for her shirt. Daryl rummaged through his things and grabbed his cigarettes and lighter, leaning against the door, keeping his eyes peeled for walkers.

      He glanced behind him when he heard her door open and she stepped out, walking towards him. She looked good, her hair damp from sweat and a red flush ran across her cheeks, the light in her eyes was back and Daryl felt relieved.

“’m sorry about Zach.” It was all he could think of to say.

“It’s ok.” The emptiness in her voice struck him.

“What?” She walked towards him and rested her head on his chest as he stroked her hair, still he said nothing.

“I don’t cry anymore Daryl…I’m just glad I got to know him.”

“Me too.” He exhaled a lung full of smoke.

“Are you ok?” He laughed at that, she had just gone through something traumatic and she was asking _him_ if he was ok.

“Tired of loosin' people 's'all.” Beth let her head settle against his shoulder and kissed his neck. “I don’ wanna…I can’t stand the thought of loosin’ _you_ …” He told her.

“You won’t.” The way she said it, she sounded so sure, but only an hour before Zach had her in his grasp as walkers tore into him. If he hadn’t grabbed Beth she could have been bit, without a doubt he knew she would have been crushed by the helicopter as the roof caved in.

“You can’t say that. You don’ know!” He looked down at her, getting angry with her words promising him something he knew neither of them had any control over.

“I know that you won’t let anything happen to me Daryl. I know that you care about me enough to protect me.”

“Like I did today?” He scoffed. “Let you go off with that damn boy when I _knew_ he didn’ have any experience out on runs. I _knew_ that and I still let you out of my sight.” He was angry at Beth, at the situation, but more than anything else, he was angry at himself.

“You didn't know anything Daryl. You didn't know the roof was full of walkers, you didn't know the roof was gonna cave in! Daryl…” She cupped his face in her hands. “I trust you _completely_. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am safe with you. Next time we go out-”

“There won’ be a next time!” Daryl’s eyes burned into hers as he spoke, “Beth, I ain't gonna risk losin’ you…I can’t lose you….” Beth’s lips parted as it struck her. While Daryl couldn't say the words out right, the way he was looking at her, Beth knew.

“I can’t promise you that nothin' won’t happen to me…but I can work harder to get stronger…that way if somethin' like this happens again, I can be prepared… I get scared too Daryl, I hate it when you go out, never knowing if you’re coming back or not. I don’t want to lose you either, 'cause I care about you.” She bit her lip and watched his face for a reaction. “I love you Daryl.” She leaned in and kissed his chapped lips.

       Daryl didn't say anything. He didn't know _what_ to say to that. She had told him she loved him and while he knew he felt an attachment to her stronger than anything he’d felt before, he was hesitant to reciprocate the words. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers as Beth closed her eyes.

“I can’t say it back Beth.”

“I know.”

“But…I don’ wan’ you to think that just ‘cause I don’ say it don’ mean I don’t feel somthin'.” Beth felt a smile grace her lips as she took in what he had told her.

“We need to get back to the others.” He told her as he pulled himself away from her. She gave him a small smile before nodding and heading towards the other side of the car. They drove in silence and Beth reflected over the day, everything that had happened, their loss. But no matter how dark her day seemed to be, there was a bright light at the end, and that light was Daryl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My longest chapter ever and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I'm shooting for next weekend or the final week in June. I can't believe how fast time is flying, hope everybody is having a wonderful weekend. Please leave a review and let me know what you think, thank you all for reading!


	13. Que Sera Sera

**Que Sera Sera**

            They rolled into the prison about an hour after the first group had arrived, the gates closing behind them. As soon as their truck rolled to a stop there was a pounding on the window, Maggie opening the door before Daryl could even shut it down. Beth was pulled from the vehicle as her sister held her close before holding her at arm’s length to look her over. Beth watched her sister’s brown eyes drink her in and felt a tug pull at her before Maggie looked over her shoulder.

“Thanks for bringin’ her back.” Those were the first kind words that Maggie had said to Daryl since finding out about their relationship and it gave Beth a sense of hope that things would work out. “What the hell were you thinkin’ Beth?”

“Wha-“ Her sister caught her off.

“You can’t just go runnin’ off like that! You didn’ say anything me or Dad. You didn’t say goodbye! I hear from somebody else that you took off on the run. Do you know how worried we were? Then Glenn and the others get back and you’re not there!” Maggie’s voice was full of strained emotion that shocked Beth. It had been a spur of the moment decision to head out on the Big Spot run and it hadn’t even crossed her mind what her family would think when they found out.

“They were leavin’ and I knew I was ready. It’s somethin’ I needed to do. I’m sorry for worryin’ you.” Beth had never liked being reprimanded by her older sister, it always left her feeling small and after what she had just been through it was the last thing she wanted to feel.

“Somethin’ you needed to-Beth, we need you here! I know you want to do more but you do enough. You don’t need to be runnin’ around out there where it ain’t safe!”

            Beth looked to Daryl who had stepped out of the truck and was watching in silence standing awkwardly not wanting to leave Beth but also not wanting to watch the siblings argue. How could she make her sister see that she needed to be out there just as much as the others. She knew that what she did was important for the prison, but it wasn’t fair for her to be sitting back while other members of the community risked their lives for the supplies that allowed them to live as well as they were. She turned to look at her sister who was searching for an answer.

“I came back Maggie, I’m a lil shaken up but I’ll live. It was somethin’ that was out of our hands.”

“You don’t understand Beth!” The older woman was getting frustrated and it showed in her tone, “There is _no_ need for you to go out there an’ try to do something you’re just not able to. There’s no shame in that.”

“But I can!”

“Glenn told me about your close call. We lost Zach today we could have lost you too.”

“But it wasn’t!” They were just chasing circles with what-if’s that it was getting annoying. “Next time-“

“There won’t be a next time! Do you know what it would do to dad if somethin’ happened to you out there? What about you Daryl? Do you support her goin’ out there getting’ herself killed?” Maggie turned her scrutiny on the bowman who shuffled under her gaze contempt showing.

“I done told Beth I don’ like it. But I ain’ gonna stop her, jus’ make sure I’m there with her. Make sure she can handle anythin’ that comes her way out there.”

            If he were being completely honest he’d side with Maggie on this, but after talking about it with Beth he knew it would just drive a wedge between them once more. While Daryl didn’t want anything to happen to Beth he knew he couldn’t stop her, she was as hard headed as a bull. He knew all he could do was support her and be there for her to make sure nothing happened, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if that happened.

“You have nothin’ to prove goin’-“ It was Beth’s turn to cut off her sister as it realization hit her.

“This ain’ about provin’ anything. What’s wrong is that you don’t think I can make it out there. You want me to stay here ‘cause out there you think I’m just some walkin’ dead girl!”

It looked as if Maggie had been physically struck, she recoiled from her sister but remained silent.

“I know I’m not like you, or Michonne, or Carol. But I’m here and I’m alive! I train so that if somethin’ _does_ happen, I won’t end up like you think I will. The more I go out there Maggie the more I learn to survive outside these walls. I ain’t stupid, I know what’s outside and I wanna be ready for it. So either you support me and help me get better than I am, or you don’ but either way; I will go on runs and I will keep trainin’ so I ain’t just another dead girl.”

“Beth,” For the first time in a long time her sister looked defeated and it didn’t feel like a victory to Beth, “go see dad.”

With that she watched her sister walk away. She went to go after her but stopped when two arms wrapped around her preventing her from moving.

“Let ‘er go. Ya laid a lot on ‘er, got some thinkin’ to do.” His voice was gruff but somehow it comforted the turbulent feelings inside her. She sighed into his arms, it had been an emotional day and she felt drained. She didn’t know what her Daddy was going to say to her but knew that it would be along the same lines as what Maggie had confronted her about. It was not something she was looking forward to.

“Gonna go park this in the back, you go see what your pops wants.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. It was brief but for Daryl it was the most public affection he’d ever expressed and Beth felt her lips curl into a small smile and she nodded.

“I’ll see you at dinner.” And with that Beth turned to head into the prison to find her father.

            It wasn’t too difficult for her to locate him, he was in his cell reading a worn copy of the Bible. Beth bit her lip as she watched him, knowing that he had more than likely been praying for her safety. She watched as he closed the book, marking the page with a scrap of paper and looking up at her.

“I’m glad to see you made it back. Are you alright?” His voice was soft but it rang so loudly in Beth’s’ ears that she could have sworn he was yelling at her.

“I’m ok. Zach…he didn’ make it.” Hershel nodded at his daughter and motioned for her to sit with him.

Beth didn’t hesitate to take the spot next to her dad, he provided her a sense of comfort that she needed.

“I’m sorry for takin’ off without sayin’ anythin’. They would have left me behind if I’d have come to say goodbye. Maggie would have probably locked me in a cell.” She tried to make light of the situation.

“Beth, I know that you think that we see you as a little girl. You’re not wrong, but whether you’re nineteen, thirty, or sixty, you’ll always be my little girl and I’ll always see you as such. But that don’t mean that I don’t know that you’re tryin’ to spread your wings.” He placed an arm around her, holding her close.

“Maggie would rather I have them clipped and caged here like some bird.”

“Your sister cares about you. She’s just tryin’ to protect you the only way she can.” He defended his oldest daughter. “She’s coming from a place of love, try an’ understand that.”

“I’m sorry for worryin’ you. And not tellin’ you that I was leavin’.” She rested her head on her dads shoulder and grasped his hand in her smaller one before giving it a squeeze.

“You’re my daughter, I’ll always worry about you. Whether you tell me you’re goin’ outside the fence or not. But I would like a little warnin’ next time.”

She knew it wasn’t a request, next time she went on a run she would let him know and let him say his goodbyes. Beth might hate goodbyes and not want to say them, but she wouldn’t deny her father a chance, if anything happened to her she needed to let him have his closure. The blonde let her mind wonder as they sat together in silence, her father was right about Maggie. While Beth knew that her sister viewed her as a weak link, she also knew that her sister wanted her safe and loved her. It just hurt, a blow to her ego, to be viewed as a helpless individual whose only contribution to the group was babysitting and keeping house.

“I don’ mean to hurt your feelin’s Bethy but you could curl the whiskers on a skunk right now.” Beth blushed at that and moved away from her father knowing it was his polite way of saying she stunk to high heavens.

“I love you Daddy.” She kissed his cheek as she walked to the opening of his cell.

“Love you too, Beth.” He watched as his youngest left thanking God for seeing his little girl home safe.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Dinner had been a somber affair, the majority of block D quietly mourning the loss of Zach, it was hard not to bond with one another when living in such close quarters. When she arrived and got her meal it had been a novel experience, for once she hadn’t been the one handing out the plates, and it had been the first time she’d received a little extra. Something which was reserved for those who went outside the walls and risked themselves for the group, an unspoken benefit. She pushed the food around her plate though, taking a few bites here and there, she wasn’t eating because she was hungry she was eating for fuel.

            When Michonne joined her at the table nothing was said between the two, nothing needed to be said. It was a relief to be in one another’s presence knowing that they were still there, both of them alive and well back home. Others from the run had joined them and they all sat with one another in silence, reflecting on the day. With what had happened it could have been worse, more people could have met the same fate as Zach and they all considered themselves lucky that they had made it out.

            Beth managed to finish her meal, extra portion and all, though she was left feeling over full and tired she trudged back to her cell. Her journal sat on her bedside and she grabbed it to start writing, she needed to get it out of her system and write everything that had happened today down. It was therapeutic and the words just continued to flow out onto the pages filling one then another. She had been so consumed by her writing that she was startled to see Daryl watching her from her doorway. They watched one another for a moment, neither one saying anything.

“Can I come in?” He lingered in her doorway waiting for her to allow him admittance. She nodded and stood from her cot as he entered the cramped space.

“Everythin’ ok with your pops?”

“Yea. Just worried about me.” Daryl nodded staying where he was. “I didn’t see you at dinner.”

“Wasn’t up for it.” Beth nodded in understanding “Wanna get outta here?”

She knew something was bothering him, something he needed to get off his chest. Beth didn’t question where they were going, she just stood and followed him from her cell, making sure to turn off the lights. They walked in silence and before she knew what she was doing she had placed her small hand in his calloused one as he led her down familiar halls towards the library. They wondered through the stacks, going into the back corner of the library, with small barred windows letting in the moonlight. Daryl pulled her down to the ground and sat with her in his lap, holding her tucked under his chin.

Beth didn’t know how long they sat like that; the library still, only the sounds from crickets outside. He smelled of oil and she knew that he must have been working on one of the vehicles after they had come back. She knew firsthand how difficult it was for him to express his emotions, more than likely he had kept busy to keep his mind occupied. But now that night had fallen and there was nothing for him to do, he had come to her to keep his thoughts from the day. It wasn’t healthy though, she knew that if he just let things build they would come out eventually, in ways that were harmful and self-destructive.

“Ya know you can talk about it.” She didn’t move from her position. “Losin’ somebody is hard but it’s not the end.”

“Might’ve been if it’d been you.” He breathed her in, holding her tighter for a moment.

“Don’ say things like that.” Her voice sharp, upset at the thought of him giving up living if she’d been lost along with Zach. “I don’t want you ever giving up, you hear me Daryl? If anythin’ happens to me you go on livin’. You’re better than that.” He didn’t say anything and it bothered Beth to her core. “I’ll just have to stick around then, make sure you don’t do anythin’ stupid if somethin’ happens.”

Beth tried to laugh it off but couldn’t find the humor. Wiggling around in his arms she maneuvered so that she could meet him eye to eye, both holding one another.

“Promise me, Daryl. I need you but so does everyone else. If anythin’ happens to me, you be there for ‘em….an’ they can be there for you.”

He gave her a noncommittal grunt, avoiding eye contact. Gently she grabbed his chin and watched as Daryl tried his hardest to avoid meeting her gaze. She couldn’t let this go, and when she finally met his blue eyes she gave him a small smile.

“Promise me.”

“Yea.”

Her lips met his in a coaxing kiss to seal his promise. Beth threaded her fingers through his greasy hair giving a firm tug drawing a growl from Daryl. With a smile on her face she kissed her way down his neck before crossing at his throat and kissing her way back up, giving a nip at his chin. She let her tongue flick at his ear before pulling it between her teeth, earning a thrust of his hips up into hers. The blond was surprised at the restraint he was showing, allowing her to explore, she wondered how far he would let her go before it would be too much.

Purposely, she avoided his lips, letting them trail across his forehead, down his nose and across his cheek bone before making it back down his jawline to repeat the attention on the other side. She didn’t get to make it down his nose a second time before Daryl grabbed her cheeks between his hands and drew her in for a searing hiss. Their tongues met and while she tried to play coy he aggressively sought her out. It was Beth’s turn to let out a groan as he took control or the kiss, pressing her hips down firmly into his so that she could feel his erection.

Beth wondered if this is what it would have felt like to be a teenager in high school, dry humping in a dark corner while making out hoping that they wouldn’t get caught before they could go further. But she’d never see her senior year and somehow she knew that this trumped any experiences she might have missed her junior and senior years combined. Pushing those thoughts from her mind she helped Daryl out of his vest, never once parting their lips as they continued the exploration of each other’s mouths.

They parted only so that they could relieve themselves of their tops, Daryl his sleeveless black button up and Beth her green tank and worn bra. As soon as their goal was accomplished hands reached for one another, drawing them back together. Their breath came out in short pants, the heat between them increasing significantly to the point they divested themselves of their remaining clothing. He was on top of her before she could fully kick off her jeans and she giggled as he placed open mouthed kisses down her neck to her collar bone, his scruff creating friction on her smooth skin.

Her slim fingers ran along his waist up to his chest to his shoulder where she winced at the sight of where her teeth had left an impression hours before. Placing gentle kisses along his swollen shoulder, she had wanted to mark him in the truck but as she saw the inflamed skin she felt regret at having hurt him. He didn’t seem to mind though as he continued his way down to her pert breasts, palming one in his calloused hand while taking its twins swollen nipple into his mouth.

Beth felt her back arch involuntarily as pleasure traveled down her navel straight into her pelvis causing it to tilt up coming into contact with his swollen cock. She allowed her knees to part further, pelvis thrusting into the air trying to make contact with Daryl, wanting the friction that would eventually bring her over the edge. He hovered over her, denying her the satisfaction she wanted from him, taking his time lavishing her one breast to attention before setting his sights on the other. It wasn’t enough for the young woman and she allowed one hand to rest at the nape of his neck, playing with his hair while the other traveled down between their bodies before stopping at the thatch of blonde hair.

Her skillful fingers parted her folds, dipping into the seeping wetness she coated the pads of her fingers before trailing up to the bundle of nerves of her clit. She drew small firm circles around her clit, breathing heavily into Daryl’s ear. With a wet pop he released her breast from his mouth and glanced down to watch her hand for a moment before smacking it away.

“You need somthin’ you tell me.” He growled into her ear as he gripped himself in his hand and ran the head of his cock up and down her slit coating his tip in her juices.

“Please, Daryl!” Her hips thrust up hoping to fill her with him but was denied.

Lifting herself onto her elbows they both watched him as he teased her, running himself along her opening before entering her for a moment only to pull out. Through her haze of lust Beth remembered something, something they’d been lax on for quite a while.

“Wait!” He pulled his cockhead from her opening, his eyes meeting hers as he waited in confusion.

“Wha’s the problem?” Beth kicked off her pants completely before pulling them up to them, pulling a foil covered condom from the pockets. “Fuck.”

They both knew they’d gotten lucky once before but they’d been playing Russian roulette for a while now, sooner or later the trigger would be pulled and it would be too late. Beth tore open the package and grasped him in her hand, Daryl watching as she rolled the latex down over him.

“I want you Daryl.” Beth looked into his eyes.

It was enough to get him going again as he lowered himself onto his forearms and slowly entered. Beth felt her eyes shut and threw her head back a throaty moan echoing the otherwise quiet library as he pushed into her an inch at a time. It seemed to take an eternity before he was inside her fully, their hips locked together. She didn’t know if he was trying to drive her insane or what, but he pulled out of her at the same pace he’d entered and she let her teeth tear into her bottom lip drawing blood.

“More!” The blonde cried out.

Daryl looked down at her, sweat peppered her brow her face contorted in frustration. He pulled away from her body, settling onto his knees. Beth’s eyes popped open, feeling the cool air hit her chest, that’s when he snapped his hips forward with a jerk and he set a brutal pace. She was laid out before him, her tits bouncing up and down as he thrust deeply into her wet pussy her moans and his grunts permeated the air. He placed his hands on her knees, opening her wider for him, watching his dick disappear into blonde curls before reappearing slick with her juices.

One hand moved from her knee to where their bodies connected, parting her fold to get a better look at her hidden pearl. She fluttered around him as he brushed over the bundle of nerves and he repeated the pattern of him brushing her clit as her cries grew higher in pitch and her walls began to clench around him like a vice.

Beth could feel the burn of the thin carpet on her back but it was overridden by the pleasure of Daryl’s fingers as they drew her closer towards her peak. She watched the concentration on his face through lidded eyes, everything about him was so erotic to her. The way he clenched his jaw every time she squeezed herself around him, the look of determination in his eyes as he watched his thumb brush her wanting so badly to make her cum, even the feeling of his balls slapping her ass added to the experience, but it wasn’t enough. She pushed her hips up to meet his, needing to feel more of him, wanting to be consumed by Daryl.

Daryl seemed to understand her need as he pushed her knees together and to her chest. She could feel him deeper than she had before and let out a guttural sigh, she felt his fingers digging into her waist knowing he would leave his mark on her skin. It didn’t take long for his thrust to lose rhythm as he felt is orgasm approaching, frantically he rubbed her clit in no discernable pattern as he tried to bring her over the brink.

“Cum for me girl.” Daryl panted.

Beth felt her body winding up tighter and tighter with each second, her heart hammering in her chest. When it finally hit her she felt her body bow and toes curl as white flashed behind her shut eyes, a silent cry caught in her throat. Daryl continued to pound into her, her release further lubricating his thrusts as he slid into her easier. His pants and the sound of skin slapping skin were the only sounds and before he knew it he felt his testicles pull up towards his body as his release hit him, spurt after spurt of cum filling the latex sheath.

He collapsed next to the blond and without a word pulled her close, the cool air of the room a relief to both their overheated skin. Daryl placed a kiss in her hair before releasing her to tie off the used condom and fling it across the stacks earning him a smack from Beth.

“What if the kids find it?”

“So Carol’ll have to teach ‘em about the birds an’ the bees.” He shrugged pulling her back to his chest his heart still trying slow its pace.

“You need to get it before-“ The sound of the metal door opening followed by a giggle silenced her.

“C’mon woman, you’re driving me crazy.” The deep voice of Tyreese sounded over another womanly laugh.

“We need to leave.” Beth whispered to Daryl making a move to grab her clothes on the floor only to be stopped as he held her firmly in place.

“There’s only one way in, you really think we can get outta here without them seein’ us? Best stay put an’ wait for ‘em to leave.”

“I really don’ wanna hear them have sex Daryl.” She voiced, her face twisting at the thought.

            The deep timbre of Tyreese singing reached their ears as Daryl held onto Beth who finally settled, resting her head in his shoulder. They could barely make out the hushed conversation of the two lovers and for a moment it felt so intrusive to be listening to such a private moment. It seemed that the library had its fair share of nightly visitors from lovers looking to get away from the confined cells. Privacy was a luxury, it was one of the reasons why Maggie and Glenn had moved into one of the abandoned watch towers.

“Yea. Hey, wanna crash at my place?”

            Laughs were heard and Beth perked up knowing that the visit in the library had been a short one for the couple, relieved that she hadn’t had to test her voyeuristic boundaries.

“We’ll crash at your place then.”

“You know if we start doing that we aren’t gonna wanna stop. Not just yet.”

            Beth paused to think, obviously the woman was smart enough to not start a sexual relationship without forming a bond first. She knew that when she had goaded Daryl it had started out strictly about sex, but along the way had morphed into something deeper. The blond didn’t want to think about what would have happened if her feelings had not been reciprocated. Her relationship with Daryl had sparked a change inside her and she had been able to grow in so many ways. In a twisted way it had formed an unlikely friendship between Michonne and herself, altered her bond with both her father and sister and had made her want to be a stronger more capable individual.

The metal doors opened and finally closed, they were alone again. Daryl didn’t move though, and Beth was content to stay put with his arm around her. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, she knew that they had drifted off sometime in the night though because before she knew it the sun was shining through the small barred windows, dawn had caught them unaware. She moved her stiff joints and looked up at Daryl, smiling at his open mouth before wriggling away and putting on her clothes. After popping her back with a twist, she knew Daryl was going to be worse off than her, spending the night on the floor wasn’t the most comfortable experience.

“Daryl, we gotta get back. Sun’s comin’ up an’ we gotta get goin’.” She nudged his side with her foot, when he didn’t stir she went to nudge him again only to be caught by the ankle. She stopped her fall on the shelves in front of her and let out a snort of laughter at his antics.

“Could think of a lot nicer ways of you wakin’ me up Greene.” He gestured towards his semi-erect member as he lay prone on the floor still nude.

“Oh, where are my manners!” Her voice mimicked a traditional southern belle, then she dropped to her knees and gave him a kiss on the lips before turning her attention south, “And good morning to you too!”

            She cupped him in her hand and felt the jerk as blood began to rush into his cock bringing it up to its full glory. Beth placed a kiss on the tip and licked the pre-cum that seeped out from the opening noting the rubbery taste from the condom they’d used the night before. She looked up as Daryl hissed, watching her with a hand behind his head for comfort. Rolling her eyes she went to stand up and leave Daryl to take care of his own business but was stopped by a hand to the wrist.

“Daryl, we don’t have time. I need to get outside and you need to do whatever it is you do.”

“Won’ take too long, promise.”

            His hand over hers they worked their hands over his straining cock together. Beth could feel her nipples tighten and her breath hitch as his member pulsed hotly in her closed fist. Her pace was slow and Daryl let go of her hand as she continued to pump him. With an over dramatic sigh she leaned forward and took him in her mouth, engulfing him almost completely. She gagged as she tried to take more of him in and pulled back as tears filled the corner of her eyes. Breathing through her nose she set a pace and used her hand to compensate with what she couldn’t fit in her mouth.

            She enjoyed hearing the groans she caused to come from the usually silent man and enjoyed the power she wielded over him at moments like this. Beth felt his hand grasp a hold of the back of her head and immediately knew that he was close. He drove her down a little further and pushed his hips forward, before she knew what was happening she was held in place and a steady stream of curses and cum flowed out of Daryl. She swallowed what she could, feeling herself gag a little at the taste, it wasn’t something she had been prepared for. When the jerking of his hips and dick stopped he let go of Beth’s head and she released him.

“Coulda given me a lil warnin’ there.” She shot him the dirtiest look she could muster. His only reply was a sheepish shrug before he finally stood to get dressed.

“Wha’s so important you gotta be up an outta here at the ass crack of dawn?” He glanced over his shoulder as she watched him shrug on his shirt. It still unnerved him that she could see his scars but he knew she didn’t think any less of him because of them and that was something he’d never thought he would experience.

“Michonne’s goin’ out. Lookin’ for supplies…an’ the Governor,” Beth paused to gauge his reaction, “I just wanted to see her off.”

Daryl nodded and gave her his hand to pull her up.

“She’ll have more luck findin’ the supplies. Ain’t seen hide nor hair o’ that piece o’ shit in a long time.”

“I guess it’s just somethin’ she needs to do.”

            They made their way down the halls of the prison to their cell block, not many of the inhabitants were awake allowing the couple to slink off to their respective cells to prepare for the day. Beth traded her jeans for shorts that wouldn’t chafe as she grabbed a bottle of warm water before heading outside to the yard. There had been a fog as far as she could tell, it was dissipating leaving the air thick and muggy. Michonne was already past the gates, Carl walking towards his father in the garden having closed them behind her. She had hoped to say goodbye, something she had learned the hard way yesterday wasn’t always a luxury.

            Stretching out her muscles she watched the outer fence, noting that there was a large number of walkers gathering around again. They’d had to pull people from their normal duties to take care of it but it didn’t seem like they were making any headway. Beth wondered if it was because so many people were living in one place that caused them to congregate like they were, maybe they could smell them through the brick walls. No matter how many they managed to drop there always seemed to be two more to take the place of one of their fallen brethren. Before she could even open the gate to the yard to begin her run she was stopped by a loud banging sound coming from the prison. She turned to see Carol stop what she was doing and they both stared, waiting to see what was happening.

            The doors burst open and two little girls came running out screaming for help, both heading straight for Carol who had her arms open for them. Everything happened so quickly that it left Beth’s head spinning. They were telling her something about walkers being inside the prison and Beth wondered how that was even possible, they were supposed to be safe. When Sasha came out to tell Rick that block C was clear it had been a relief, Daryl followed on her heels with his bow stopping in front of Beth.

“Get to C!” He pushed her towards the direction he’d just come from.

“But I can help!” She went to follow him but he stopped her, holding her away.

“We follow the plan. You watch out for Lil Asskicker!”

            She was torn, wanting to follow them and help with the situation that was going on in D but she knew better than to argue with him. Everyone had their jobs to do and hers had always been to look after Judith. Maybe after today that would change to something that would directly help the group as a whole. She ran up the steps and took one last look, watching the fence line as Michonne rode back towards them. Shaking her head she stepped back into the dark halls, she would find Judith and keep her safe from anything that came their way.

            She was locked out until her father opened the door for her, he looked worried but no worse for wear. They embraced and she looked around trying to spot where Judith was needing to get eyes on her. Beth found her in her dads’ cell playing with scrap material on a laid out blanket. The sound of shots being fired rang louder inside the prison than they had outside and it unnerved her. She left Judith were she was and ran to her room, stuffing a go bag just in case they needed to bug out.

            When Beth finished with her own bag she slung it over her shoulder and headed for Ricks room where she knew she could find Judith’s diaper bag and began packing the essentials she would need. When everything went quiet was the point Beth and the few others in C block began to worry, questioning if they should head for the bus. She was thankful for the distraction when Judith began to wail, sensing the tension from the adults pacing around the bottom floor, looking to the locked door, and waiting.

            Patience was never a virtue that Beth possessed, she was always anxious for immediate gratification. She gnawed her bottom lip into a bloody mess as she rocked Judith, humming to the girl instead of her usual singing. Time dragged on and each minute passed like an hour until she saw her Daddy at the door talking in hushed whispers to Rick. After the younger man left she saw a weary look on her father’s face as he shuffled over to her taking her by the shoulder.

“Somethin’ happened last night, one of the members from D turned and was loose. That’s what caused all the gunfire. We’ve got walkers pressing against the fences now and we’re gonna need everyone doin’ there part.”

“I can leave Judith with Carl and join the cull crew.” Beth offered, knowing how draining it was to clear the fences, especially when so many were pushing to get in.

“Now Rick and I spoke. We _both_ think it’s a good idea for you to look after Judith. He needs to know she’s with somebody capable and I need to know you’re safe. Think of it this way,” He told her after seeing the frown on his daughters face, “this man is trusting the survival of his daughter with you. That says a lot. Now, you’re in charge of C block until somebody from the council says otherwise. Rick wants me over in D an’ then I think the council needs to meet.”

            It was a lot to take in but Beth agreed with a nod, knowing that what had just happened was completely unexpected. She watched her father grab his satchel and leave the block hoping that everyone from C was alright and hoping that the majority from D had made it out unscathed. She tried to ignore the helpless feeling that settled around her weighing down her shoulders; she had trained too long and hard to be left feeling like this. Instead of worrying herself into a frenzy she put her go bag with Judith’s and began the normal routine of feeding the baby girl. No sense in disrupting her further and causing her to fuss.

While making the bottle she saw her sister and Carl helping a limping Michonne to the locked door. Grabbing the keys left to her she unlocked the metal frame and swung it open to let the group in. Dread pooled in her stomach, she had seen Michonne riding towards the prison and wondered what happened to injure her friend.

“Did you get bit, are you ok?” She rushed out bouncing Judith on her hip.

“It’s nothin’. Just did somethin’ stupid.” It was one of the rare times that the older woman sounded morose, not wanting to talk about what had happened.

“Everyone else ok?” The blonde wanted as much information as she could get from the group since they’d been the ones outside.

They were all quiet but nodded their heads letting Beth know that nothing was wrong with them.

“Put her in Daddy’s cell, I’ll take a look at her leg.” They helped move Michonne onto the cot and Beth entered the tiny space, moving towards her father’s supplies hoping he hadn’t taken everything with him.

“Beth, I’m gonna need ya to lock up after I leave.” Maggie looked anxious to get out of there.

“Wait, where are you goin’?”

“I need to get down to the fence. There was too much noise, drew in just about every damn walker within earshot.” Beth nodded and passed the keys to Carl, she needed to make sure Michonne was fine first, trusting the young man to ensure their safety.

            Beth put Judith down next to her as she pulled a chair to sit in front of the dread headed woman who was avoiding her questioning gaze. She pulled her foot into her lap and unlaced the black boots before pulling them off followed by her sock. The blonde refrained from cracking a joke about it as she watched the wheels grinding away in her friends head. She’d been lucky to find an ace bandage in the supplies and set to the task of wrapping the bruised ankle. It could have been worse, Michonne had been lucky it was only a twisted ankle. She worked in silence but soon broke it, needing to hear something more than Judith and her red cups.

“Did you see anythin’?”

“They just started taking out the dead.” Michonne’s gaze pierced her, demanding silence but Beth pressed on.

“I don’t think I wanna know. I’m glad you made it back safe. Glad you didn’t get too far out before this happened, we need you here.” She avoided the sword wielders gaze by watching the bandage wrap around the ankle.

“Stupid. I was so stupid. I fell on my ass, they should have just left me out there.” Beth had lost her to self-deprecation and she knew she had to cut out those thoughts before they could take root.

“ _Now_ you’re bein’ stupid. We care about you. You’ve been a key part of this group, I don’t know where we’d be without you.”

“They could have gotten _hurt_.”

“When you care about people, hurt is kinda part of the package. It can’t always be rainbows and sunshine, not the way things are now. What counts is what you do to help those you care about to get past that hurt, and help prevent them from getting hurt. It’s all you can do.” Michonne looked at her and tilted her head towards Beth in concession.

“Do you know who it was? Who turned? Saw the girls running out of the prison screaming. Were there any kids?” Beth knew she was talking faster than her mouth could filter but it was a nervous habit, “We have all these widows and orphans but what do you call someone who lost a child? You think someone would have given that a name.” Judith dropped her cups and began to wail, blue eyes shifted from the babe to Michonne who had developed a pained look on her face, “You ok?”

“She always cry like that?”

“I think she senses people’s moods.” She bent down and picked the baby up rocking her close. “Everyone’s on edge so she is too. For what it’s worth, I am glad you are here Michonne. I know I’d take it pretty hard if somethin’ happened to you.” With that she exited the cell trying to calm the baby, heading towards the forgotten bottle hoping it was just warm enough for Judith to take.

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            When shit hit the fan it really made a mess all over, Daryl was in a sour mood as he sat around with members of the council deciding what would be done. He had pulled Hershel aside to talk to him about Beth and was relieved when he heard that she had agreed to stay in C. She was so bullheaded that he hadn’t fully trusted her to go back inside away from everything, she wanted to prove herself to the community but now was not the time.

“Two people die that quick. Have to separate everyone who’s been exposed.”

“That’s everyone in that cell block. It’s all of us. Maybe more.” Daryl didn’t like the idea of being cut off from Beth but knew that a quarantine would be the only real way of preventing her from catching whatever was going around.

“We know that this sickness can be lethal. We don’t know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showin’ symptoms that we know of?” Daryl chewed on his lip before speaking up.

“Beth…she’s been feelin’ outta it for a while now. Maybe a week…cramps, dizziness, ain’t been eatin’ much more than a damn bird.”

“Like Carol said, this comes on fast and from what we’ve seen it takes them out quickly. We’ll wait and keep an eye on her but I don’t think they’re related.”

“We can’t just wait and see. I know she’s your daughter Hershel, but there are children. It isn’t just the illness. People die they become a threat.” Carol looked around the table and Sasha nodded her agreement.

“I don’t want to expose her when she’s not displaying any of the symptoms. If she has an underlying illness her immune system could already be compromised making her susceptible. We need a place for those with symptoms to go. They can’t stay in D. We can’t risk goin’ in there to clean it up. Way I see it we need three separate areas, those showin’ obvious symptoms, cough, fever, chills. Then an area for those who haven’t been exposed, they’ll be the ones running things like preparing meals to avoid contamination. Finally an area for us, the ones who have been exposed but aren’t presenting any symptoms yet. An’ if you’re worried about Beth we can separate her in the warden’s office, away from those showing symptoms and the rest.”

“Yea, we can use cell block A for the sick, C for those unexposed and as for us I guess we’re stuck without a cell block.” Carol voiced.

“Death row. Not sure that’s much of an upgrade.”

“It’s clean. That’s an upgrade. Would that work for doctor S?”

“I’ll help Caleb get it set up.” Everyone stood, there was still so much that needed to get done to secure the prison once more. A cough caught all their attention and they flooded out the door into the hallway to see Tyreese walking with Karen heading towards C block.

“You ok?” Carol was cautious more than concerned, “You don’t sound so good.”

Daryl watched the scene with mild attention, his head elsewhere. What Hershel said made sense, if two people had died within hours of showing symptoms Beth wasn’t in the same boat as they were. He knew that whatever it was that had been affecting her was clearing up on its own, her appetite had returned and she hadn’t had anymore spells of nausea or dizziness. He remembered telling her to get checked out by Dr. S when they returned from her first outing but he hadn’t followed up with her about it. Had she even gone to see him, was there something she wasn’t telling him or the group? He wondered if he could get Hershel to ask Dr. S about it and let him know.

“Have to call another meeting later.” Hershel interrupted his thoughts.

“Yea.” Darly stood next to the man in silence as the hallway around them cleared, everyone moving onto their next task. “You gonna be the one to tell Beth she’s gotta be locked up away from everyone?”

Hershel shook his head at the thought. His daughter hadn’t liked being told to mind Judith but had understood it was her responsibility, how was he supposed to tell her that she wouldn’t even be able to do that. He’d speak to the council about restricting Beth to a 24 hour watch before clearing her to be allowed with those who hadn’t been exposed.

“Looks like it son. I’ll tell her you send your best.” As he went to leave Daryl stopped him.

“Hey, if…if you don’ think she’s got this flu, what do you think is wrong?” He’d only been a vet but he still had a medical background and could give better insight than Daryl could even guess.

“Could be anything Daryl. Lowered immune system from working with Michonne that’s only now recovering, female troubles, poor diet, the list is a long one. It’s why I want to keep her away from the sick and exposed right now.”

“Alright, thanks. I’ll get to buryin’ the dead ones.” He chewed over what he’d been told, hating that he still had no answer.

“You wear gloves and a mask. If you get sick there’ll be no stopping my daughter from gettin’ to you.”  He nodded and walked off, heading for the yard, by now the dead should have been taken out to the yard for burial.

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             The end of the day couldn’t come quick enough, if yesterday had been emotionally draining, today had siphoned off whatever was left. The mystery illness that plagued the work lingered in the backs of everyone’s mind making people more leery of getting to close to one another. After breaking the news about quarantine to the general population anger and frustration broke out, there had been yelling as the council tried to calm everyone down. Beth hadn’t taken the news of being taken off baby duty better than anyone had thought. She’d fumed as she’d been led down the halls with her go bag hearing how it was for her own good, for the good of the group. She had a hard time seeing it that way.

            She was surprised to find Daryl carrying her dinner tray, he’d been exposed and she knew that according to the precautions the council had set up it should have been somebody else. Instead of coming into the office though he set the tray down in front of the door before backing away, waiting for her to open the door. When she did he took another step back, putting distance between them.

“What’re you doin’ here?” She knew she sounded tired.

“Wanted to see you.” It was the closest she’d get to hearing him say he had missed her.

“Heard about Patrick.” Carl had let it slip when he took it upon himself to build markers for the graves. “I’m sorry.”

They’d had only a handful of run in’s with him but from what they knew he was a good kid, if not a little bit of a perv. But what teenage boy wasn’t?

Daryl didn’t verbalize his response, only nodded at her.

“Talked with your dad, had him talk with Dr. S.”

“About what?”

“You.” She didn’t like how he was looking at her and shifted under his gaze.

“What about me?”

“You never went to see him after you got back from that trial-run. The one with the boy.” She knew which one he was talking about immediately. Honestly she had forgotten to go see him, it hadn’t seemed important but now looking back maybe it was.

“It was nothin’ to worry about. I’m doin’ better, it was just stress.” Daryl nodded but didn’t look entirely convinced.

“Council had another meetin’. Your dad’s convinced ‘em that if you’re still not showin’ symptoms by tomorrow afternoon you can be moved to C. You’ll be back to watchin’ Lil’ Asskicker.”

“What about you?” Beth looked to the tray at the floor, it was odd talking to him at such a distance.

“Me? I’m good. We’ve got Karen an’ David separated. We don’ want another repeat of this mornin’.”

“Any chance I can get a goodnight kiss?” She looked up hopefully, blue eyes staring into blue.

“I don’ wanna risk it.” She felt her lips tug down, she knew it was for safety reasons but still, it hurt.

“You’ll just owe me then.” She bent over to pick up the tray, the food already cold but she wouldn’t mind. “An’ just so you know, I’ll be chargin’ interest too.”

“I think we can manage somethin’.” His grin brought a smile to her face.

“You take care of yourself Daryl Dixon. This’ll blow over before we know it.” They both nodded in agreement both wanting the words she said to be true.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, g’night.”

         He turned to leave and Beth watched him go, turning down the hall away from her. Tomorrow she’d be out and back to watching Judith but for tonight she was left with nothing to do but think. She wondered if Daryl had been right to worry about her not going to visit Dr. S. Worried about the health of everyone who’d gone into D block. She knew Karen and David were locked away, but what threat did they pose to the group, to one another? If this illness spread who would be infected next? Maggie? Daddy? Daryl? She didn’t want to think about losing anyone. She tried to clear her head from the negativity, it wouldn’t do to worry about what could happen, she’d focus on the here and now. Whatever will be, will be, que sera sera.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I feel like I’m a lil on the rusty side having not posted/written in over a year. My apologies for that but I am determined to reach the end, I can see it in my minds’ eye and already have everything planned out, I just need to fill it in. So originally I had planned to post on the 22nd but I am posting early to get feedback before posting on FF.net. I have the tentative schedule for the next chapters posted on my profile so you don’t have to wonder when the next chapter will be up. Thank you all for reading. On another note, this may be the last chapter that contains smutty goodness. I will try and squeeze it into another chapter but I am not guaranteeing anything. As always, if you catch any mistakes let me know and I’ll get on it to fix them as quickly as possible.  
> Now I know that some of the conversation has been pulled from Still, however bear with me. Watching the show after the prison fell Maggie did not look for her sister or leave any messages for her. I felt that Maggie had written Beth off as dead from the get go and that’s why I decided it was better for Maggie than Daryl in the 'Punishment' world. Had Beth gone on a run I don’t think Maggie would have liked it and I feel that if anything were to have happened she would be sad but felt it an obvious ending as Maggie doesn’t see Beth as a survivor outside the prison walls.


	14. Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are following the timeline but there are some events that are going to be tweaked because the relationship between Daryl and Beth has changed dynamics throughout the prison. Still trying to stay true to the base of the character while remember where they’ve built themselves to in my ‘Punishment’ world.

**_Sisters_ **

            Daryl hadn’t had too rough of a time sleeping that night, exhaustion from the day before shutting down his body for him. When he woke up he was still tired but knew that today would be a day that would test the group once more. Breakfast had been delivered to them and he was grateful for the oatmeal, even if it had been a soupy mess. There was so much that needed to be done; the fences needed to be cleared continuously, the last of the bodies needed buried, Karen and David needed to be monitored and a check of the group in block A would be required. This didn’t include the daily chores that were typically done to keep a group of their size running and with the majority of the population not allowed to participate it was shaping up to be a long day.

            He let his thoughts wonder to Beth who had been locked up for the night, they would be letting her out soon as long as she wasn’t showing any symptoms. At the next council meeting he’d see what they would have her doing hoping that it would keep her away from the sick and as selfish as it was, he wanted her safe. He knew Hershel was in his corner and Maggie wouldn’t want her sister anywhere near this mess, Glenn would always side with his wife. She would be safe and it was one less thing for him to worry about.

            Passing Rick with a casual greeting he saw that the members of the council were already congregating with one another. He guessed that they had been just as anxious as he was to get the day going. Before anyone could offer, Tyreese jumped at the opportunity to visit Karen and check on her condition leaving David as a footnote, Daryl couldn’t fault him he would do the same if it were Beth. He frowned chewing on his thumb, they’d just gotten to a place where they were both comfortable again, able to be with one another without their being an issue. As much as he wanted to pull a Tyreese and take it upon himself to go check on the blonde he couldn’t, not when he knew he had been exposed. Last night had been a mistake and if anything happened to her because of him he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

            The meeting was more for everyone to touch base since they all knew their roles; Maggie and Glenn would take a few able bodied from A and finish up getting their dead buried, Hershel was going with them to look over the sick with Dr. S and determine what more could be done. Carol and Daryl would lead the cull crew and check their fences which had been weakened from the walkers the day before. Everyone agreed before they left to meet again in a few hours to touch base and keep the lines of communication open.

“Rough night?” Daryl asked the gray haired woman next to him as she let out a large yawn.

“Just a long one. I’m worried that we won’t be able to contain this before it spreads.”

“Caught it soon enough. Might be the worse is already passed.” Carol gave a wide smile and laughed at him.

“I can see Beth’s optimism is rubbing off on you.” She gave a sideways glance at him, “Is that all that’s rubbing off?”

“Shut up.” He playfully nudged her and shook his head as they walked towards the doors leading out.

            The clouds hung low and were thick with the promise of rain, too bad they were quickly rolling out towards the northeast. Rick looked to be keeping himself busy with the garden but the two council members shared a look and knew that they had to say something. There were things that needed to be done and with Rick being a small portion of the community not sick he needed to re-prioritize. When they approached him he was weeding, yanking out clumps of grass that had managed to sprout in his beds.

“Morning Rick.” Carol called out to catch his attention.

“Mornin’. Where you guys headed?” Rick only gave them a glance before going back to his mindless task.

“’Bout to check the fence ‘fore we start clearnin’.” Daryl pointed to the line of dead pressing up against the chainlink.

“Yea, sounds good.”

“We could use some help.” Carol phrased it as a request versus a command, treating Rick with kid’s gloves.

“When I get done here I was gonna have Carl-”

“Hey!” A booming yell from the direction of the prison reached their ears and they ran towards them, Rick trailing behind them.

“Hey!” They saw a disgruntled Tyreese stalking towards them.

“What’s wrong?”

“Trouble in the block?” Everyone threw questions at him, wanting to know if there was another situation that needed to be contained.

“I need ya’ll to come with me.” His voice filled with rage wavering.

            All three shared a look and followed the towering man who hadn’t waited for them to reply. They were led to block A where it had been decided would be the best place to house the sick. When they passed the cells they paused to note that they were empty and a trail of blood on the floor, they continued following Tyreese towards the back exit. The smell of charred flesh hit their noses before their eyes adjusted to the difference in lighting and were finally able to see what had upset the man so much. Two charred remains were still smoking as they tried rationalizing what they were seeing.

“You found them like this?” Rick was the first to recover, Daryl still couldn’t comprehend who in their group would do something like this.

“I came to see Karen, and I saw the blood on the floor. Then I smelled it. Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire. They killed them and set them on fire.” His voice was hoarse, fighting back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him, “You were a cop. You find out who did this and you bring them to me. You hear me? You bring them to me!”

Daryl saw Tyreese getting into Rick’s face and knew that he wasn’t thinking right, he needed to try and diffuse the situation. He reached out his hand to grasp his shoulder and pull him away from Rick.

“We’ll find out-” Tyreese shrugged off his hand and he backed away knowing that space was needed.

“I need to say it again?”

“I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been there. You saw me there it’s dangerous.” Daryl eyed Carol who was standing as far away from the men as she could get, her eyes shifting from person to person.

“Karen didn’t deserve this! David didn’t deserve it. Nobody deserves it.”

“Alright man.” Daryl tried once more to get Tyreese to look at him. He hoped that he had calmed down enough to talk, the man needed to know that everyone wouldn’t stop until the person who’d done this was caught.

“Man, I ain’t goin’ nowhere ‘til I find out who did this!”

            Before he knew what was happening he was shoved against the back fence, his head hitting the metal frame hard making spots appear in his vision. He saw Rick and Carol move towards them but stopped them with a raise of his hand. As much as they thought they’d be helping whatever they would do would just escalate the situation.

“We’re on the same side man.” He felt the grip on his vest loosen some.

“Same side?” Tyreese scoffed but his eyes widened for a fraction of a second, “Where’s your blondie?”

“What’chu talkin’ ‘bout?” Tyreese let go of him completely laughing in Daryl’s face.

“Your lil blondie, Beth. Wasn’t she _separated_ too?” Daryl forgot how to breathe for a moment his vision swimming at the thought of finding another burnt body in a different cell block.

“She…she ain’t sick.” He tried to convince himself, the world around him spinning.

“You really think whoever done this cares?” He pointed towards the charred remains and Daryl could only look, his mind reeling.

“’Kay, look. I know what you’re going through, we’ve all lost someone. We know what you’re going through right now but you need to calm down.” When Rick invaded Tyreese’s space he saw red.

“Man, you need to step the hell back!” Tyreese was running hot and Rick tried to get control of the situation.

“She wouldn’t want you being like this.” Rick had said the last thing Tyreese needed to hear at that moment.

            It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone when Rick was nailed with a punch to the side of his head, it was too soon to talk about Karen. The wound still deeply visible for all to see. Daryl moved quickly to intervene, stepping in front of Tyreese who was setting to swing once more.

“Get out of my way!” He didn’t budge, Carol moved to help Rick who shrugged her off.

“Don’t do this. Ain’ the time for it. Karen still needs you,” Tyreese let out a painful wail as he turned away from them and Daryl continued, “She needs a proper burial don’t ya think?”

“Yea….yea…” Tyreese muttered, looking around before his eyes narrowed on Rick. “You best do somethin’ about this. Cause if I find them before you do…” He trailed off shaking his head.

            They watched him walk back into the building knowing he would be taking care of the burial of the two members they’d lost. Carol fretted over Rick’s face and he batted her hand away both had a frown on their faces.

“Coulda gone a lot worse.” Carol told them with her hands on her waist.

“Worse than this?” Daryl gestured to the bodies in the area with them, “I gotta go check on Beth.”

He was stopped with a hand on his arm, “She’s fine Daryl.”

“You can’t know that.” He watched Carol’s weary face as she searched for words to reassure him.

“Somebody needs to check on ‘er. She’s been locked up long ‘nough.” He was on edge need to know.

“We need to discuss this with the council, let them know what happened. Rick needs Hershel to take a look at his face, might need stitches.” Carol was calm and seemed completely in control of the situation.

“Yea, alright. We’ll make it quick.” Daryl led their way into the building passing Tyreese who didn’t bother to acknowledge them, his arms full of linens.

            They were supposed to be searching for the council members to get the meeting started but Daryl couldn’t put it off any longer. He needed to see for himself that Beth was alive, that whoever had killed Karen and David hadn’t seen her as a threat as well. He ran through the halls, his breathing was heavy. Daryl only slowed after he rounded the corner not wanting to alarm her but didn’t see her door open. His heart continued its frantic pace and he knew that it wasn’t because he’d run the entire way here. He didn’t like the tremble of his hand when he grasped the doorknob with a shake if his head he turned the doorknob pushing the door forward.

            The room was dark and he peered inside a relief flooded over him as he saw her looking up at him with questioning blue eyes, her journal spread out before her. She smiled up at him as she closed the book before scrambling to get to her feet. He wanted to hold her, embrace her close but knew that he couldn’t risk her coming in contact with him. He slammed his fist into the door causing the glass to rattle in the frame. The whole damn thing was a frustrating mess and the pain in his hand helped clear his mind, keeping everything in perspective. Beth took a step away from him, confusion and hurt etching its way on her face causing Daryl to blanch.

“What’s wrong?” Daryl clenched his jaw, the muscles of his face straining.

“You don’ know how glad I am to see ya.” Beth smiled at him but her brows remained furrowed.

“I…I don’t understand. Did somethin’ happen?”

“Karen and David. Somebody killed ‘em last night an’ set ‘em on fire.”

Beth inhaled sharply the smiled wiped from her face in an instant.

“Why would-”

“Dunno. Might have wanted to stop the sickness from spreadin’.” Daryl knew that there were more questions than answers at this point and it wasn’t something he enjoyed.

“What’s gonna happen?” Beth took a tentative step towards him but he help out his hand to stop her in her tracks.

“Gonna meet with the council, but right now I need you to get to Lil’ Ass Kicker. You find her an’ you stay where people can see you, ya hear me?” He gave her one last look trying to form a visual picture of her alive and well in his mind before walking away leaving the door open for her to follow.

“I love you, Daryl Dixon!” The words caused him to stop in his tracks.

            He turned to see her watching him through the doorway. The words rolling around in his mind replaying on a continuous loop for him. He opened his mouth but promptly closed it, everything he wanted to say wouldn’t come out getting caught at the tip of his tongue. He could only nod wondering what she must think of him not being able to say it back.

“You stay safe woman.”

She flashed one of her bright smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners and she watched him walk away from her. She knew it would take a lot for him to voice his feelings to her and his actions alone screamed at her what he felt. He’d run to find her, he’d been scared for her, and he wanted her safe; she didn’t have to be told, she knew.

            It unnerved her to think that somebody had killed Karen and David, someone in their group was a murdered and everyone was none the wiser. Shoving her pen and journal into the bag she slung it over her shoulder, thankful to finally be free of the prison inside an actual prison.

            During her walk to the cell block she noticed that nobody was walking through the halls, the place looked deserted. The once bustling halls were quiet and it sent chills up Beth’s spine. Even after arriving to her block she was hit by the wave of silence. She peered into the cells, the majority of them were empty. Rick looked surprised to see her and nodded a hello which she responded to with a wave of her hand and awkward grin. In the far back, past the stairs she saw Carl with Judith and felt a relief at the sight.

“Hey.” Her voice echoed.

“Hey.” Carl gave her a lazy look as if this were the last place he wanted to be.

“How’s it goin’?” She cringed at the question, it was a habit of making small talk. Thankfully Carl had the sense not answer her, merely raise his eyebrow at her.

“You know what I mean. How have you been holdin’ up?” She kneeled down next to Judith and ran her hand through her fine baby hair.

“I should be out there helping! Instead they have me in here like some kid.”

“You are a kid.” Carl rolled his eyes at her and Beth realized that this must have been how Maggie felt around her. “You’re a kid livin’ through the end of the world. I know things are different…but you can’t let it take away from what it means to be young. You still have a few more years to enjoy not having _adult_ responsibilities. Don’t burden yourself with them right now.”

“Oh yea? What would you know? Your biggest responsibility is _her_.” Beth frowned at that. She’d always looked at her playing babysitter with Judith as a negative thing, but since her talk with her father she had finally come to realize the gravity of it.

“Yea, and? I look after Judith, I make sure she’s fed, dressed and taken care of. If somethin’ happens it’s me who’ll be in charge of her, of keepin’ her safe. That’s the job I’ve been given an’ it might not be a glamorous one, but it’s no less important.”

            When he scoffed and stalked off Beth knew that he didn’t understand. He was growing up in a world of chaos and even though they tried to create a stable environment for him and other children to grow he had seen the world for what it really was. He had been shot and come so close to facing his own mortality, he’d been the one to deal with Lori before she turned, there were so many situations that a boy his age shouldn’t have had to go through. It was no wonder he couldn’t connect with the sheltered children of Woodbury. Add to the fact that he was experiencing teenage rebellion and trying to find his place in the group with a father who wasn’t ready to see his boy as anything more, it was a pressure cooker ready to burst.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Daryl had made it to the council meeting a sweaty mess earning him more than a few concerned looks from the members. He just shook it off trying to see what information had already been exchanged. Carol was wrapping up the story of finding Karen and David, grim faces on those who were just learning what happened. It was quiet for a moment, nobody knowing what to say but Hershel spoke up, updating the group on the situation in Block A.

“It spread. Everyone who survived the attack in cell block D. Sasha, Caleb, and now others.”

“Jesus.” Daryl didn’t want to think about the possibility of this going around the group and wiping out every member.

“So what do we do?” Carol shifted in her place.

“First things first; cell block A is isolation. We keep the sick people there like we tried with Karen and David.”

“The hell we gonna do about that?” They’d let it hang long enough, action needed to be taken. Justice needed to be served.

“Rick’s going to look into it, try to make a timeline who was where when? But what are we gonna do to stop this?” Carol placated.

“There is no stopping. Once you get it you have to go through it.”

“But it just kills you?” Michonne lingered in the doorway, everyone was surprised to see her. She should be keeping her distance even though she was on the council they didn’t need her exposed.

“The illness doesn’t, the symptoms do. We need to get antibiotics.”

“We been through every pharmacy nearby and then some.” Medications were something to be coveted, every store they’d been to had been picked clean.

“That veterinary college at West Peachtree Tech. That’s one place that people might not have thought to raid for medication. The drugs for animals there are the same we need.”

            Daryl let the information sink in before quickly running through multiple scenarios. There was no way around it, if they wanted the sick to survive then they would need to do a run and bring back anything that could help.

“That’s 50 miles. Took a risk before, ain’t now. Gonna take a group. Best not waste any more time.” He took off for the door, they didn’t have time to waste at the rate this flu was spreading.

“I’m in.” All eyes turned towards their samurai.

“You haven’t been exposed, Daryl has. You get in a car with him-”

“He’s already given me fleas.” She tried making light of the situation but Daryl wasn’t having it.

“Can’t risk it. If you get sick-” Michonne raised an eyebrow at him.

“You ain’t got a say in this. I am going one way or another so you best just agree with me now.”

“I can lead the way. I know where everything is kept.” Hershel started in their direction but was stopped.

“When we’re out there it’s always the same. Sooner or later we run.” He hadn’t wanted Hershel to feel any less capable, but they couldn’t afford to take things slow.

“I can draw you a map…there are _other_ precautions I feel we should take. There’s no telling how long it’ll be before Daryl and his group return. Wouldn’t it make sense to separate the vulnerable? We can use the administration building like with Beth; separate office, separate rooms.”

“Who is the most vulnerable?” Glenn piped up.

“Very young. Children are always more susceptible since their immune systems are still developing.” Daryl knew that Rick had been adamant on keeping his own children separated but they hadn’t done the same with the other children, which bothered him.

“What about the old?”

            Glenn stared at Hershel who was quiet. Everyone looked at one another, they did have a few older group members and the old farmer was one of them. Hershel didn’t say anything just nodded his head in agreement. There was so much that he would be able to do for the community who was sick, but that only raised his own risk of getting sick.

“We’ll let you pack a bag and get some things together so you’ll be comfortable.” Carol gave Hershel a tight smile, trying to sound reassuring.

“Let’s get movin’.” Daryl watched as people shuffled slowly, they needed to light a fire under their asses.

“Why don’ you grab the keys to the charger an’ move it to the side so we can load and check it over real quick?” Michonne agreed and left followed by Carol and a pale Glenn.

“Gonna need that map an’ a list of what we need soon as you can.” He didn’t want to pressure the older man, but the sooner they were on the road the better.

“Don’t you worry son.” He produced a pad from his pocked followed by a pen and sat at the tale and began writing.

“How is my daughter?” His stroke never wavered and he didn’t look at Daryl.

“She’s alive.” His reply was cut, Daryl hadn’t had time in the last two days to actually question how she was doing. If she was alive that was all that mattered, they could make up for lost time when everything wasn’t going to hell in a handbasket.

“That is a relief to hear. Now you’re going to want to make sure you get _exactly_ what is on this list. Medication has a tendency of sounding similar, you stick to what’s written.” He passed over the paper after tearing it from the pad.

“Gonna see if Bob’s up for a run.” He breezed through the list not bothering to try and pronounce what had been written.

“You _are_ gonna say goodbye to Beth, aren’t you?” Daryl didn’t have a chance to answer either way as Hershel grasped his shoulders and started walking, “Help an old man to his room.”

            They shuffled along together, neither one speaking as they navigated through the twists and turns of the prison. It wasn’t even mid-day and the challenges that lay before the group kept piling one right on top of the other like in an out of control game of Tetris. The only hope the group had was to deal with each individual issue as it came up or else it would be game over for everyone. It was always a pleasant sight to see, watching Beth walking the catwalk while rocking Judith and signing some old tune that nobody had heard of.

            He felt the weight release his shoulder as Hershel slowly made his way into his cell where Rick had been waiting for him. Hushed voices reverberated off the walls and Daryl made his way up the stairs mindful there was enough space between himself and his two girls. Judith was lightly snoring on Beth’s shoulder and she tried adjusting the babe so that she could breathe easier. She felt eyes on her and saw Daryl watching, feeling self-conscious she shifted her weight from foot to foot hoping it looked like she was still rocking Judith.

“It’s gettin’ worse,” Daryl wouldn’t sugar coat it for her and laid everything out on table, “More from D are comin’ down with it too. Had ‘em set up in A, looks like the whole damn block caught it now.”

“The kids?” Beth didn’t want to hear that any of them were ill, she didn’t think she had the stomach.

“Nah, gonna get them set up in the administration block for now. Away from everyone an’ everythin’.”

“What’s gonna happen?” She knew she would continue looking after Judith until this ran its course.

“Group of us are headin’ out. Dad said there’s a college not too far might have what we need.”

“When are you leavin’?” She tried to ignore the tightening in her chest.

“As soon as possible. Need to check with Bob ‘fore I check over the car.”

“Maybe I should come with you guys?” She knew it wouldn’t happen but she had a bad feeling about him leaving and would feel better if she knew it was herself watching his back.

“Nah, you stay here. I’ll be back.” Daryl began his descent down the stairs fighting every fiber of his being that wanted to march back up and hold Beth close before he had to leave.

“Ain’t you gonna say goodbye?” She called out to him watching as he stopped a couple steps shy of the bottom.

“You hate goodbyes.” He looked up at her easily reading the emotions on her face.

“Yea well…sometimes things change. Come back safe.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow Greene.” He finished his decent.

“Promise?”

“Yea.”

            Her eyes followed Daryl’s body until he was out of sight before spotting Rick leave her father’s cell. He didn’t say anything to her holding his daughter, instead he just walked away leaving her alone. Descending the stairs herself she was careful not to jostle the sleeping baby in her arms before setting her down on her cot. She built a dam of pillows to prevent her from rolling off in her sleep and left to visit the cell a few rows down from her own.

            Beth could see the remnants of sutures as her father tidied up, getting rid of what couldn’t be used anymore. He was so methodical in the way he worked always doing his best even for the smallest of jobs. When he grabbed a bag and began filling it she frowned, finally deciding to disturb him.

“What’cha doin’?” He turned quickly to look at his youngest.

“Packing. I’m going to be going with you all to the offices. Apparently I’m too old.” He was still feeling the sting of being sent off.

“You aren’t _old_ Daddy. You’ve just got a lot of experience.” Hershel let out a snort of laughter.

“You try tellin’ that to them.”

“It’ll be alright, you’ll see. Daryl’ll be back before we know it an’ then we can work on gettin’ things back to how they were.” He smiled at her optimism, it was one trait that he always loved about Beth. No matter how bad things had been, in any situation, Beth had always been one to find the silver lining and if she couldn’t she’d hold out hope for the goodness in others to make things better.

“I hope you’re right.”

“So when do we have to move?” Hershel began packing once more.

“I reckon they’ll want us separated as quickly as possible. It’ll help keep the spread to a minimum, easier to see who’s showin’ symptoms.” Her father closed his bag and looked up at her, “Ready?”

“Give me a minute I just need to get Judith and our things.”

“I’ll be here waiting.”

            She left in a hurry, walking past Rick who was standing in front of Carl’s cell talking to him. Normally she wasn’t a nosy person, but she couldn’t help but pick up on bits and pieces of their conversation. She gathered her bag and Judith’s before picking up the girl, she fussed a little before settling into the crook of her shoulder once more. With a final scan of her room she left, walking slowly past the two males talking, from the corner of her eye she saw Carl pack a gun in his things reassuring his father that he’d be ready to use it, it unnerved her.

Both of them watched her pass, neither one acknowledging her which she didn’t mind however they failed to acknowledge Judith as well. It sometimes felt that the little girl was just a decoration in their lives, something cute to fill their heads with happy memories when they wanted but someone to be cast aside when they didn’t. She knew that it had been upsetting for Rick when she had started to train, knowing that it would be hard to watch a baby while doing the things he wanted to do but that was what came with being a parent. Beth wondered if it was because he questioned the paternity of the girl that he wasn’t as involved with her as he was with his son.

Reaching her dad’s makeshift room she got his attention, “You ready Daddy?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daryl was thankful that Michonne had already pulled the car forward and was already busy loading supplies into it when he finally arrived. Bob had been with Tyreese finishing up the graves when he’d asked to talk to him. It made sense to find somebody who had a fraction of a clue what to look for and Daryl wanted this run to go smoother than the last. Rather than say hello he popped the hood of the Charger and checked the oil.

“Looks about a quart low.”

“Still keep it in the bottom of tunnel 3?” He would be hard-pressed to admit it, but Daryl enjoyed the easiness between the pair of them. Neither were entirely content sitting behind the fence and both did what needed to get done as efficiently as possible. It was an easy comradery between them.

“Yea.”

“I’ll get more”

 “Hey,” Daryl chewed over what Beth had told him about Michonne heading out to look for the Governor two nights ago, “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Where else would I be?” She looked at him a glint in her eye.

“Running off.” He shrugged before replacing the dipstick.

“You know I’m not running off.”

“You’re out there chasin’ ghosts.” He said under his breath but he heard Michonne let out a scoff and knew he’d been heard.

“So, it’s just gonna be me and you like the old days?” She leaned against the side of the vehicle looking at him.  
“An’ Bob,” He raised his gaze from the engine to her, “still feels like we could use another person.”

“Who else isn’t sick? You thinkin’ of bringin’ Beth?”

“Nah, she’s keepin’ an eye on Lil’ Ass Kicker. We don’t ask Rick, he wants to stay here with Carl an’ Kicker. Keep ‘em safe and plus there’s plenty of stuff he can do here.”

“You already have somebody in mind,” She let her eyes widen, the list of able bodies was dwindling so it wasn’t difficult for her to figure it out, “You sure that’s a smart idea? He _just_ lost-”

“He needs a distraction. Somethin’ to take his mind off what happened.” Daryl tried to assure her but she remained skeptical of his choice, “I’m gonna go see if I can get him to come along. Can ya get that oil in?”

He left her staring after him as we went looking for Tyreese.                              

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Beth, Hershel and Judith made their way to the offices, dread filling the older two for different reasons the closer they got. Without realizing it they slowed their pace both trying to bask in what was left of their freedom before being isolated. The first rooms came in sight and they stopped to see Carol and Rick corralling a small group of older individuals into separate rooms.

“I guess I’m down this way,” He motioned towards Rick and Carol.

“Daddy, I just want you to know that I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Before all this you were a good dad and after losing Momma and Jimmy, you’ve always been there for me. I need you to know I appreciate it.”

“Oh Beth,” He reached out his hand but stopped himself, “you’re a good girl Beth. Always have been. Whatever happens I love you Beth.”

“I love you too Da-”

“Hershel!” Rick yelled getting both their attention motioning for him to join them.

“You take care of that one.” He motioned towards Judith.

“We all have our jobs to do.”

            Hershel nodded looking down to the tiled floor before heading over to Rick and Carol to be led into a room. Beth looked over to the other side of the hall and knocked on the door of a corner office and when there was no indication that anyone was inside opened it. It was relatively small but for what it would be used for it would serve its purpose. She gave one last look behind her and closed the wooden door behind her setting both bags onto the floor with a soft thud.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            She heard a knock on her door and looked up from where she had been laying on the floor with Judith. Then she heard the familiar voice of her sister call out to her and it came as a relief, something to break up the monotony. If anything came from this situation it would be a strong dislike of confined spaces. She moved to the door and sat with her back against it pulling Judith into her lap and giving her a toy she could chew on.

“Hey Maggie.” She let her sister know that she was there and listening.

“How are you holding up in there?” Maggie tried making small talk but Beth could hear something off in her sisters’ tone.

“I feel like I’m gonna go crazy, but other than that.”

“Thanks for being in there, I know you don’t have to be. It means a lot you bein’ in there with Judith.” Beth looked down to the little girl in her lap.

“I don’ mind it, she makes it easy,” Beth paused before taking a deep breath and decided to try and get to the heart of the matter, “How are things out there? They took a group away not too long ago. They were crying, begging not to be taken to A.” She recalled witnessing the sick being led away, pleading. They knew that going to A was just about as good as a death sentence.

“Glen has it.” She heard her sister break down and the emotion sparked a similar response in Beth who tried to fight back her own feelings.

“Maggie, you remember what Daddy always says, how we all got jobs to do?” Beth heard Maggie sniff.

“Yea?”

“Well it’s just like that, we don’t get to be upset. Daryl and the others will come back with the medicine and in the meantime you and the others will help everyone until they get back. Daryl said he’d be back tomorrow, we gotta trust them to do their job. I’ll do mine and take care of Judith. We just gotta focus on what we have to do. No matter what happens we have to.”

            Maggie let out another sob and Beth wished she could throw open the door and comfort her sister like she always had. She could hear her older sister trying to control her breathing in order to gain control of her crying. She knew why her father had them focus on their work, it was always easy to succumb to emotions and it was difficult to stop them once they took over so work became a distraction.

“Maggie, you remember when you came into my room an’ told me about this boy you’d _just_ met an’ how you though he was just _so_ cute? Then I have to sit an’ hear how you’d had sex with him!” She heard a choked laugh through the wooden door. “Do you remember what happened with him?”

“Yea, I smashed an egg in his hat!” Beth nodded bouncing Judith.

“An’ I’ve had to watch you two play kissy face for over a year! An’ I know I’ll be just as tired of seein’ it a year from now.” The laughter from the outside stopped.

“You don’ know that.” Beth barely caught the words that were whispered.

“No, I _do_ know. Cause I know Daryl, an’ I know Michonne. They’ll be back an’ Glenn is gonna be fine.”

“You really have that much faith in them?” There was a thud on the door and Beth could only assume it was Maggie resting her head back against it.

“I do.” There was no questioning it, both had proven themselves to her time and time again.

“Beth…” She waited for her sister to continue. “I haven’t been entirely fair to you. I see you an’ you’re my lil sister; the girl who had to be saved from Billy puttin’ frogs down her dress. It’s hard for me to see you an’ think of you as somebody else. With a man who probably didn’t finish high school-”

“That’s not really an issue _now_ is it?” Beth cut her off and she heard a deep sigh.

“He’s not what I pictured for you.”

“I don’t want somebody you picture for me Maggie. I never would’ve pictured you with someone like Glenn, let alone _married_ to him. But when I see you together there’s no question whether or not he makes you happy.”

“I’ll try Beth. I can’t promise anythin’ but I’ll try an’ see what you do.”

“Thank you Maggie.” The older sister wiped her face trying to erase the evidence of her tears.

“I gotta get goin’.”

“Talk to you later?” Beth didn’t want her to leave but knew that things outside her room needed tending to.

“Yea, I’ll let you know what’s goin’ on.”

            She sat staring at the desk in front of her thinking about what they had said. Glenn was sick in Block A, the only doctor with them was also sick and unable to attend to them properly. For once she questioned what she told her sister about Glenn pulling through but quickly dismissed it. Daryl and Michonne knew what was at stake, Daryl had integrated into the community and embraced everyone even with his gruff exterior. He would do whatever it took to ensure that the medicine got back in the shortest amount of time.

            Judith squirmed in her arms to be let go and Beth complied with a grin watching as she attempted to crawl. She was still a little young but Beth knew it wouldn’t be long before the girl was mobile and she would be getting into everything. Watching the girl she wondered what she might look like with eyes a darker shade of blue and a mop of brown hair. Maybe a boy who turned out to be a carbon copy of his father running around with his cousins. She didn’t let her eyes linger on those thoughts long, it didn’t do to dwell on a future when the present was so uncertain.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The group had been driving in a tense silence, Daryl keeping a reasonable speed. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if they were to blow a tire or lose control and crash. They’d been driving for almost an hour, bypassing Atlanta completely on their way to West Peachtree Tech. It wouldn’t do to have tension in the group so Daryl fidgeted in his seat before saying the first words to be spoken in the vehicle.

“Hey, I know you weren’t running off. Thing is…that trail went cold. You know that right? If it were any different I’d be right out here with you. You know that right?”

            Michonne rolled her eyes at him and he fidgeted with the radio, fumbling with the buttons before motioning to a cd case on the passenger floorboard.

“Can you hand me one of them cd’s there?”

            He flicked his eyes from the road to the case so that she could see what he was referring to. Static voices filled the car and everyone froze looking at the dial before Daryl began searching the stations trying to get a better signal. While messing with the radio he let his eyes drift to the road and his heart almost stopped, his body moving out of reflex to avoid clipping a walker. There were more walkers on the road and Daryl had to slow the Charger to maneuver around them until he came to a stop looking ahead at a sea of walking dead heading their way.

“Grab something!” Daryl yelled and switched the car into reverse plowing over multiple bodies until losing traction over the rotting corpse and the vehicle was stuck.

“We’ll make a run for the gaps right there,” He quickly pointed towards an outcropping of trees along the roadside, “Once you run you don’ stop for nothin’, you hear me? Now!” He unlocked the doors and opened the sunroof, Michonne exiting the passenger side door while he provided cover through the roof.

            It was a rough time plowing through them but they managed, everyone at the tree line checking one another. With wide eyes they glanced back to the car to see Tyreese standing at the door of the car yelling as he chopped through walker after walker. There were too many, the crowd around him too large and they turned Daryl grabbing Bob to get him moving, there was nothing they could do now.

            Daryl was seething at himself when they made it to a clearing away from the road, he’d picked Tyreese thinking the man could use an outlet for his anger. Instead he’d given Tyreese the perfect opportunity to commit suicide by walkers. He pulled back the draw on his crossbow and set his bolt in place, anger coursing through his veins. This whole trip should have been in and out, instead it had gone to shit. The sound of branches snapping caused the three remaining members to look up and witness a pair of walkers stumbling towards them.

            Before any of them could react the head of one sliced down the middle, dropping to reveal a bloody and winded Tyreese. Instead of feeling relief another round of rage coursed through Daryl. Michonne dispatched the second walker allowing Tyreese to regain his weapon from the skull it had been lodged in.

“What the hell you playin’ at?” Daryl marched over to the taller man and pressed himself into his space not caring at the noise being made, “This the way you wanna go out? Actin’ all bad ass bein’ eaten alive?”

“Daryl we gotta-” Michonne grabbed his arm but he shook her off.

“No! You hear me, if you pull another bullshit move like that I’ll make sure you don’ make it back to see your sister. Since that’s what you want.”

“Man you don’t know!” Tyreese raged back.

“You’re right, I don’ know! I don’ know how you could throw aside your sister ‘cause you’re all depressed or some shit. You was ready to stand watch by her not two hours ago, now you got some death wish?”

Tyreese backed up from Daryl his jaw ticking but he wouldn’t respond.

“We’re movin’, we’ll push as much as we can while we still got light then we gotta find someplace to crash tonight. we’ll get an early start in the mornin’,” He stalked off trailed by Bob and Sasha, Tyreese bringing up the rear.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Beth couldn’t tell how much time had passed, there was only so much to do locked in a room with a baby. While Judith required feeding and changing there was little more Beth could do to keep her sanity. She’d played countless games of peek-a-boo and had made sock puppets that had garnered little more than a smile from the baby. So when she finally heard a knock on the door she scrambled over leaving Judith to her own devices.

“Maggie?” She leaned her ear towards the frame.

“No, it’s me.”

“Daddy?” She was tempted to open the door, “What are you doin’ out?”

“You got me thinkin’ when you talked about everyone doin’ their job. Beth, you remember when the whole house came down with the flu? An’ your momma, God bless her, took care of us.”

“Yea, what’s that got to do with anythin’?” She shifted inside the room glancing at Judith to make sure she was alright.

“Do you remember the tea, helped with the fever some?” She thought back and let it sink in when she knew where he was going with this.

“The elderberries…you’re goin’ out there aren’t you?” Hurt echoed in her voice.

“I have to Beth. With Caleb unwell somebody has to do something to make sure the people who are sick are taken care of.” She broke down and cracked the door seeing her father standing in front of her.

“You’re goin’ in there?” She felt so small, like she was a child of three once more standing before her towering and unshakable dad.

“I can’t do nothin’.” His soft eyes stared into hers and she wiped at the tears that managed to leak out as if they were something to be ashamed of.

“Shouldn’t have opened the door. I’m a mess.” She looked away, her face a bright red to match her watery eyes.

“There’s no shame in cryin’ Bethy.” A sob escaped her and she tried to play it off as a laugh unsuccessfully.

“You always say we don’t get to be upset, we’ve all got jobs to do.”

            She stood stiff as he pulled her into his chest but quickly relaxed and breathed him in. Nobody had to know and though she had Judith to think about she needed this, she needed to be selfish and she needed her Daddy. A sob racked her body and she held onto him tighter before he pulled her away from him.

“I raised you all to be strong, capable adults. But sometimes Beth, it’s best to be upset, to let everything out and be done with it. ‘Cause it’s when you ignore it and hold it in that it festers. I should have let you girls know that sooner. I’m sorry.”

“You told me now, that’s all that matters. I love you Daddy.”

“I love you too.” He took a step away from her and she knew that he was leaving, panic swept through her. One step turned into two and he was almost out of sight.

“Goodbye!” She yelled, not caring who heard. She watched him stop and turn, the barest of smiles on his face.

“Goodbye, Beth.”

            Beth practically slammed the door closed behind her startling Judith who began to wail. Picking her up in a flurry Beth bounced the babe whispering sweet nothings into her ear trying to calm her only to slump to the ground and join her. Their tears slowed together, and before she knew it Beth watched through watery eyes and Judith watched her, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. She had told Michonne that Judith could sense people’s moods and she hadn’t been wrong because the young girl mirrored her expressions perfectly. And when Beth finally broke out into a watery smile Judith did too.

            As she sat cuddled with Judith she couldn’t wrap her mind around what had just happened. She knew her father had always been one to help, even when he had nothing to give he still scraped the bottom of the barrel to find something to contribute. Now he was heading outside the walls of the prison to look for berries to make into a tea, a tea that he would then take into Block A. Those who had shown symptoms had cried not to go, knowing what awaited them there and her father who was healthy would be walking in to try and help. So she had said the words that she despised, a goodbye. There was nothing good about it. They both knew what she had meant by it and what caused the pain in her chest to deepen was that he hadn’t corrected her because he knew.

            She hadn’t known that she had fallen asleep until a soft tap on her door startled her away. Judith was still in her arms sleeping, this confinement was going to wreak havoc on her schedule. There was a throbbing in her head from the crying and a kink in her neck and back from sleeping sitting up but she reached her arm up to give a tap in rely against the door.

“Maggie?” Her voice was hoarse, “Daddy’s gone. He left.”

“I know. Did he tell you where he went?” Both sisters were quiet for a moment.                           

“He came here before he went. We all got jobs to do.”

“We can deal with it right? We don’t get to be upset.” Maggie croaked out.

“No Maggie, we get to be upset. Our dad is gone. But we can deal with it _together_ ‘cause we’re all we have now, we’re sisters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?! Beth doesn't say goodbye! Please bear with me, the next couple of chapters will delve into why she said it and explain this development of Beth being allowed to cry and show emotions without being perceived as a weak whiny thing. Again, this is part of character development, please wait for the next chapters before you decide to stop reading. As always, thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment or PM me if there is anything bothering you/you want to know. Keep a look out for any typos or glaring errors and I’ll do my best to fix them as quick as I can!


	15. Pregnant

**_Pregnant_ **

            Beth curled in on herself, the hard linoleum floor a cold contrast to the overly warm air in the room. She wished she could open a window to get a breeze in or at the very least to let out stagnant air. Her stomach churned, her head thrummed and her eyes were crusted over with dry tears and sleep; all in all it was one of the worst mornings she had experienced. It felt like a hangover without the experience of booze, not that she had a baseline for comparison. The soft even breathing of Judith let her know that she was still asleep and Beth tried to regain her composure to face the day.

            Rubbing the flakes of sleep from her eyes she dared to crack one open thankful for the dingy windows limiting the amount of sunlight let in. Struggling to sit up the pounding intensified and the churning of her stomach worsened, she reached for a nearby bottle of water and downed the warm liquid in a few gulps. Her blue eyes drifted to Judith who lay prone with her arms splayed out to her sides, hands clenched in small fists. She would need to tell Carl that they needed more water if she was going to make the morning formula for the strawberry blonde.

            Struggling to her feet she squeezed her eyes shut part of her wishing she hadn’t cried yesterday with her sister. However, now she could think about her father in Block A without feeling the weight of an elephant sitting on her chest. It had been therapeutic in a way to let out everything she felt with every tear drop, now she had nothing left to cry and nothing to get in the way of her doing her job.

            A shiver ran down her spine, her jaw clenching instinctively before she bowed forward with a dry heave. She made it for the waste bin as her stomach twisted again, trying to expel anything it could from her empty gut. After another unsuccessful attempt her stomach decided to rest. Beth wiped her brow, a thin sheen of sweat taken away. She placed her hand on her lower back and was about to reach for her pack to look for another water bottle when the door opened revealing Carol, her face covered with a bandanna and both women looked at one another with wide eyes.

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            Daryl was the first of the group to get up and he had his things packed before the sun began to rise, Michonne joining him after his shuffling woke her. They had found shelter in an old boarded up shack, it had once been a homestead that had been left to rot in the woods. They had considered it a stroke of luck stumbling across it and it seemed like they needed all the luck they could get considering they were still a few miles away from the college with no transportation to get back to prison once they’d completed the raid.

Daryl nodded towards the two sleeping men, he would let Michonne wake them not trusting himself yet with Tyreese. Breakfast was doled out from one of the bags a bottle of water, jerky, and dried fruit, the breakfast of champions. Nothing was said among the group, everyone knew what was at stake and that they needed to move quickly. They set out walking along an old dirt road Michonne and Daryl leading the way while Bob and Tyreese brought up the rear. It felt nice being outside, away from the stuffy confines of the prison, a break from the worry of what was going on. But it still weighed on the back on everyone’s minds, the lives of their friends and community depended on them bringing back the medications on the list.

            Daryl still couldn’t stop beating himself up mentally, he had two strikes against him already with this run; a third would make him question his ability to lead a decent run. The first being his distraction and messing with the radio, if he’d seen the accumulation of walkers maybe they would have had an opportunity to backtrack and go straight through Atlanta, it would have taken more time, but a hell of a lot less time than by going on foot. His second strike was in thinking that Tyreese was capable of going on this run. Michonne had tried to talk him out of it but he’d been too hard headed in thinking that this was the best, he should have left him babysitting the sick.

            A glimmer in the dirt road caught his eye and he stopped to pick it up, rubbing his finger over the surface a grin on his face. Maybe taking this detour hadn’t been for nothing. He licked his thumb and ran it over the stone again getting a better look at the color before palming it.

“Is that jasper?” Michonne caught a glance of the stone surprised that he had even bothered to pick it up.

“Uh-huh?”

“It’s a good color, brings out your eyes.”

“Since when do you notice my eyes?” She rolled her own at him and kept walking.

“Mrs. Richardson went into A block. When we were leavin’ asked me to keep a look out. Gonna use it for her old man’s marker.”

“You know all of them back there?” Her surprise didn’t shock him, nobody would think of Daryl as a people person. Hell, even Daryl didn’t think of Daryl as a people person. But people had a tendency of opening up to him and he never had the heart to send them away.

“Stay in one place longer than a couple of hours you’d be surprised what you pick up.”

“Yea, what else you pick up?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He gave her a wink that caused the woman to blush before scowling at him and walking ahead leaving him to watch her go.

            They’d been walking for roughly half an hour before they finally hit a main road, not once had they seen a walker. Considering the herd that they had encountered the day before it was something to be thankful for. The group passed multiple signs, each one indicating they were getting closer to their destination, it was just a matter of time before they hit the outskirts to the town and hopefully they would be able to find a vehicle that ran and had enough fuel to get them where they needed to.

Their pace picked up when they saw a white building covered with overgrowth, a downed tree leaning up against it. Daryl stopped, his eyes scanning the green foliage before walking towards it letting the others check out the worn down building.

“See something?” Bob hollered.

“Dunno, maybe.”

He grasped the branches, throwing them aside to reveal a white van. Daryl went around the side and opened the passenger side door grateful it was unlocked before sinking down to remove the cover underneath the steering wheel. He stripped the wires, touching them together hoping to hear the sounds of the engine come to life but had no luck. Fortunately enough the vehicle was right next to a small car garage and they would have luck finding what they needed to get them back on the road.

“We gotta find us a new battery.” He checked the window, jumping when a hand slammed against the glass he had tried cleaning, “Got some friends inside. Gotta clear a path, it’s the only choice we’ve got.”

            The four of them lined up and began removing the climbing overgrowth not knowing where the door was. It didn’t take long before they slowed their work to watch Tyreese, huffing as he hacked away noisily. His machete embedded in the building and he tugged aggressively, when it freed a clump of wires could be seen.

“Man go easy.” Daryl barked at him, it wouldn’t be any good for them to attract any nearby walkers while they were trying to gain entrance in the building.

            Daryl jumped when he felt something grasp him, gray hands reaching for him the smell of death hitting his nostrils. The grip was tight and he tried to get out of the grasp but no matter how hard he struggled there was no prying the dead fingers from him. His heart was racing and his mind was having trouble thinking of anything else but the body trying to pull him in. Suddenly he fell on his ass, the air rushing out of his mouth. He looked over to see Michonne take care of the walker Bob was tangled up with. Daryl jumped to his feet producing his knife and dispatching the armless walker with a blow to the head.

Their relief was short lived when suddenly Tyreese was grabbed, his meaty arms grasping at the walker in front of him. It was a battle of wills and as Michonne stepped forward to end the struggle she couldn’t find an opening, not with Tyreese pulling at the corpse.

“Ty, let him go!” She yelled as adrenaline coursed through her veins.

Two bodies fell to the ground as Tyreese pulled the walker free of the vines. Daryl saw red in that instant and marched forward pulling it from the hulking man’s grasp and throwing it to ground. He was grateful when Bob drew his weapon and fired a round through its skull.

“Why the hell didn’t you let go?” Michonne questioned and Tyreese remained silent avoiding the groups stare.

            Daryl gripped the larger mans’ shirt in both his fists and gave a heave to get him standing his breathing harsh and loud. Still Tyreese avoided looking at him and that’s when Daryl gave a shove causing the dark man to stumble back and finally look at him, his own rage starting to build.

“Ya know I don’ get you man,” Daryl started, his voice gruff, “ya say you want Sasha safe. But all this bullshit you’re pullin’.” He shook his head in frustration, “You’ve got a chance to do somethin’ for her, to help her _live_. An’ you’re out here doin’ the stupidest shit! You want your Sasha to die?”

“Daryl!” Michonne chastised, he was crossing a very thin line.

“Don’t start with me!” Tyreese took a step forward but Daryl wasn’t backing down.

“We’ve got a fuckin’ block full of sick an’ you’re actin’ like you don’ give a flyin’ fuck if we get to the school! You’re gonna sit your ass out here an’ think if that’s what you want. Cause if it ain’ we’re leavin’ your ass here.”

Daryl motioned for the others to start looking for the opening of the building to finish clearing. They remained still for a moment before slowly stepping in to help. Tyreese stood watching them before moving to a position furthest away from Daryl and began hacking, his momentum not what it had been before.

\----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ------------ ----- ------------

            Carol took a step into the room, her eyes shifting from Beth to Judith sleeping on a blanket laid out on the floor. Beth didn’t like the look in her eyes and took a step back in reflex. They stared at one another and Beth had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach knowing that Carol was one of the one’s in charge of rounding up the sick.

“I’m gonna need you to come with me Beth.” She recoiled at the older woman’s extended hand.

“It’s not what you think. I’m not sick.” It felt like ants were crawling through her veins, her whole body tingling.

“I just heard you. We can’t have you getting Judith sick.”

“Carol, I’m not sick. It’s just nerves,” As much as she wanted to see her father again she didn’t want it to be inside A.

“We really should do this the easy way.” Carol took an imposing step forward and Beth felt trapped.

“I swear, it comes an’ goes. I’ve been like this for a while now. It’ll clear up as soon as I get somethin’ in my stomach. You _know_ I would never do anythin’ that would risk Judith.” The blond pled her case hoping she could sway Carol from taking her away.

            She was relieved when Carol didn’t immediately take action but was still wary of the persistent frown that had yet to leave her face.

“How long?” It was a tone she wasn’t used to hearing from Carol, it commanded immediate response and left no room for argument.

“Maybe two or three weeks. If it was this flu wouldn’t I be dead already?”

The wheels were turning in the older woman’s brain and her eyes widened a fraction before narrowing.

“Symptoms?” Another curt command.

“I dunno,” She paused to think, “nausea that hits every blue moon, some light headedness, cramps. But it comes and goes, I swear!”

Carol nodded, “How stupid are you?”

Beth was left speechless, her mouth opening and closing.

“You’ve been taking care of Judith since she was born! You saw Lori go through her bouts of morning sickness since the farm. Didn’t you ever learn about safe sex?” Carol let out a deep sigh her hand raising to her head.

“Michonne gave me condoms.” It was a pitiful answer and they both knew it.

“I take it she didn’t tell you that you actually had to _use_ them?” Sarcasm dripped with a tinge of anger.

“Does Daryl know?” She held up her hand to stop Beth from replying, “Silly question, _you_ didn’t even know.”

“We don’t know. It could just be somethin’ else.”

“Oh yea? Is that what you’re gonna say when you start showing?”

“I-We.” Beth snapped her mouth shut knowing it was better to not say anything versus something stupid.

“Carol!” Her sister’s voice made both women turn to see Maggie slowly walking towards them.

“Don’t say anythin’. Please!” Carol turned her head and nodded.

“You won’t have too long. You’ll need to tell them an' Daryl soon.”

“I will. I jus’ want them all together. When this is over.”

Carol nodded and stepped away from the room meeting Maggie halfway.

“What’s up?”

“Rick needs to see you, somethin’ about a run. I told him I could go but he wants you. Is everythin’ ok?” Her brown eyes drifted to her younger sister who looked so small standing in the doorway and she feared the worse.

“Everything’s fine.” Carols eyes crinkled in the corner with a smile, “Just checking in.”

Maggie nodded and Carol gave a wave to Beth over her shoulder before leaving the two in search of Rick. The older sister continued down the hall until she stood face to face with the petite blond.

“Are you alright?” Concern was etched onto her face.

“Yea, I’m fine. We need some more water though. And something to eat would be great.” A half smile made it to her face.

“Alright. I’ll get them to bring you somethin’.”

“How are things out there?”

“I’m gonna go see Glenn a lil later, I’ll ask about Daddy an’ come let you know.”

“Thanks,” She looked back to see Judith begin to stir, making small grunts, “Do you think you could do it? Bein’ a parent I mean, could you?”

“Are you-” Hazel eyes narrowed raking over Beth’s form.

“It’s just…kids have lost their parents. Parents their children. Could you risk it, them losin’ you or you them?” She trailed off.

“I didn’t used to think so, but things are different here Beth. We’ve managed to build a home,” Maggie’s eyes followed her sisters, “Glenn an’ I had a scare recently,” The elder sister opened up, “He had more reservations than I did. But I think I’d like so. We’ve got a good thing here, it’ll be a good place to raise ‘em.”

Beth nodded processing what her sister had said.

“I know Rick hasn’t said anythin’, but I know he appreciates you lookin’ after Judith. You’re her mother figure Beth, you should know it’s possible to do it better than anyone.”

“Tell Glenn I say hi. An’ for him to tell Daddy I love him.” The blue eyed woman changed the topic.

“I will. I’ll be back to see you.”

“Don’t forget the water, please.”

            She watched her sister disappear from view and slumped against the frame of the door. Her mind was being pulled in a million different directions and it felt like the world would cave in on itself. Pregnant. It wasn’t proven, but if it walked like a duck and quacked like a duck.

            Judith let out a drawn out wail and Beth shut the door behind her before grabbing the diaper bag before going to the baby’s side. She pulled out a cloth diaper and wipes, changing the fussy girl. Beth wondered how soon until she would be doing this for her own child. It didn’t scare her as much as she thought it should, she had plenty of experience with Judith and knew that she’d be getting plenty more before her own arrived. Images of little boys and girls pranced through her mind and she couldn’t decide which she wanted more. As cliché as it was she just wanted a healthy baby.

            Daryl. She didn’t know how he would take the news of being a father. He’d always been so great with Judith it would stand to reason that he would be the same with his own child. A smile appeared on her face as she picked up the drowsy girl and rifled through the diaper bag for her bottle. She scowled and wondered if he’d want to name a son after his brother Merle. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the name, it’s just the man she’d met had been a perverted ass. She chuckled at the thought of having to explain that to him.

            Shaking her head she tried to clear her mind of anything concerning pregnancy. For one she didn’t have any definitive proof and she realized that she might not until she began showing with the way her period was skewed. Secondly there were more important things to worry about like getting Judith fed and then herself. She’d work on a way of letting Daryl and her family know about the possible addition to their family when Judith napped, her journal was always a good outlet for these sorts of things.

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            When Daryl and Bob exited Bit Tony’s Express Mart he paused mid-step watching as Michonne and Tyreese sat on the curb sitting close to one another. He didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news if he didn’t make it back to the prison. He was sticking to his guns on this one, there was no room for him in the vehicle if he was going to be slowing them down. When it came down to it they would either have to leave him here or risk leaving him behind when shit undoubtedly hit the fan further along. At least here he had a better chance of making it in the long run.

            Reaching into his vest pocked he pulled out two cigarettes, offering one to Bob who took it with a small thanks. Daryl lit his first before tossing the lighter to Bob who fumbled with it before lighting his own. He set down his supplies in front of the van before popping the hood and getting to work. As he pulled the old battery from the vehicle and replaced it he looked at Bob through the fringe of his hair.

“Never told us about the group you were with before.”

“Which one?” Daryl raised his eyebrow at him. “You know when you found me out on that road I almost kept walking.”

“Why’s that?” He questioned through his cigarette before taking it from his mouth to flick the cherry away from his work space.

“’Cause I was done being a witness. Two times, two different groups. I was the last one standin’ like I was supposed to see it over and _over_. Like it’s some kind of curse. But it’s just you out here with the quiet. Used to be I’d drink a bottle of anythin’ just so I could shut my eyes at night. Figured the people, the prison it’d be easier. The run to the Big Spot did it for me.”

“Well ya gotta keep busy,” He was half listening as he worked, he had just wanted some background noise but instead was getting so much more.

“No, I did it so I could get me a bottle of Fifty,” Daryl paused what he was doing and finally looked up, “I picked it up held it in my hand but I put it down. Put it down so hard it took the whole damn shelf with it. That’s what brought on the walkers, that’s what got Zach killed.”

Daryl stared at Bob his mind working through what had just been said.

“That’s bullshit.” He stepped away from the vehicle and motioned at Bob with his cigarette in his hand, “Why don’t you get in there and try the engine, it’s the red and the green wire. Go on it ain’t rocket science. Give it some gas.” Daryl slammed the hood down as he waited for it to start and when it roared with life he gave a celebratory clap before turning and giving a sharp whistle to get the other two’s attention.

“You know, Sasha and me picked that spot, we took you with us. Ain’t no way anyone coulda known. You aint’ gonna be standing alone. Not anymore.”

Michonne walked past him as he walked towards the passenger side door. He stopped Tyreese with a hand on to the chest causing brown eyes to look at the hand before meeting blue eyes. His stare was harsh but the returning gaze wasn’t any less fierce from Daryl. Both bodies were tense at the situation.

“You comin’? Cause if you are, I ain’t havin’ anymore of this crap you’re pulled.”

“Ain’t gotta worry about it.”

            Daryl dropped his hand after a moment trying to gauge the man’s sincerity before taking off to the other side of the van, climbing in and pulling the door shut. Tyreese loaded in behind Bob and they were off, the distance between them and the college shrinking as the anticipation of getting there grew.

\----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ------------ ----- ------------

Beth knew she would be going postal if it wasn’t for her journal and what she had been busy writing. There were so many ways it could go when she finally told everyone; Maggie could lose it and finally kill Daryl or decide she didn’t want anything to do with her sister anymore. She knew her father might be disappointed with her poor decisions and lack of birth control, but would warm at the arrival of his first grandchild. Daryl was a complete wild card since she didn’t even know if he wanted children or not.

“Beth?” She closed her book and smiled.

“Hey Maggie. Did you see Glenn?” The telltale sniffle from the opposite side of the door answered before her sister could.

“Dad said he got tired out helping him. I didn’t get to see him.” A sob tore from Maggie’s throat and it pulled at Beth’s heart.

“Daddy will take care of him. He knows how much he means to you, I know he’ll do everythin’ he can to make sure he makes it ‘til Daryl an’ the others get back.”

“I know.” A sniffle and what sounded like Maggie rubbing her face drifted through the door.

“What else is goin’ on out there?” She tried the tactic of changing topics.

“Rick an’ Carol still aren’t back from their run. Rick was gonna have them look for medicine in a nearby neighborhood but I didn’t expect it to take this long. A few more have had to be taken into A so anything they bring back will be helpful.” Maggie picked at the dirt under her nails as she spoke.

“What time is it?” She couldn’t tell from the sun because of the dingy windows.

“Not yet noon.” Maggie sighed, “I jus’ wanna crawl somewhere an’ sleep ‘til this is all over. I want Glenn an’ Daddy.”

“Daryl too.” Beth added.

“Yea, him too. I guess.” The blond smirked, it was a baby step but still a step.

“Well, what are you gonna do til they get back?” This was one of the reasons her father always reminded them they had a role and job to do. Letting grief consume wasn’t smart.

“Gonna get suited up and check the fences. It was on the list to get done yesterday but…” Maggie trailed off and Beth understood. Everything that had been going on in the prison just left no time to accomplish what needed to get done.

“Well _I’ve_ got a busy schedule myself so I think it’s best if you get to work. We’ve got our jobs, let’s do ‘em.”

“Thanks Beth.” Maggie laughed at Beth’s poor attempt at humor and was grateful for it.

\--- ---- ---

When they managed to find a street from Hershel’s hand drawn map they pulled into an empty parking lot across from a tall building making this their reference point. They had passed a few walkers but it didn’t raise any alarms for the group, it hadn’t been like the herd they had encountered the day before. Bob shut off the vehicle and removed the keys from the ignition handing them to Daryl who pocketed them before he scanned the vehicle.

“We do this quick an’ quiet. No guns unless we got no choice.” They all nodded opening the doors and exiting. Michonne took care of two stumbling dead that had been attracted by the noise of them pulling in.

            Daryl gave the signal and they moved quickly, spread evenly with their weapons at the ready. Tyreese unfolded the map, buildings had been marked and they knew it wouldn’t take long for them to reach their destination. The streets were quiet, they managed to slip past a majority of the walkers undetected, and it wouldn’t do to have a trail leading to them in case there were more than just walkers about. An old red brick building was to their left as they cut through an alley and Tyreese looked down trying to get a sense of how much further they needed to go.

“Looks like we’re getting closer.”

“The building we want is just up ahead.”

“C’mon let’s pick it up.” Daryl jerked his head as he sped up, the others following close behind.

            The building came into sight and it had to have been one of the most beautiful sights that Daryl had seen in a while. The building itself wasn’t anything special but what was housed inside would be the pearl to the oyster. They just had to hope that in the span of almost two years it hadn’t been raided by another group who had similar ideas. There was a handful of walkers in the area, stumbling slowly towards them, without breaking formation Daryl put a bolt through ones’ head before pulling his knife out and taking down a second. Michonne, Bob and Tyreese were at his side quickly taking care of the remaining three. Without missing a beat they each withdrew their weapons from the skulls of the dead and moved along entering the building.

            From the point of entrance they were greeted with a giant map housed inside a glass frame which didn’t stand a chance against the butt end of a crossbow. The glass shattered and everyone paused, their ears straining for the telltale groans that indicated the presence of the reanimated. When nothing was heard he nodded towards Tyreese who looked from Hershel’s paper to the giant map before pointing to the area that they needed to get to. The four of them peered at the map, a giant ‘You Are Here’ star let them know their location in relation to where they needed to be. Ripping off the portion of map they needed they took off, their senses on high alert as they wondered through the dark halls.

            Their footsteps were the only sound as they crept along, no sign of movement other than their own. It was decided that the fasted route would be to move through the library and exit out the other side to the science labs. The library was large, a multitude of books filled each shelf, Daryl made note to bring it up in another council meeting that a raid of books might be beneficial. Books on agriculture, medicine and mechanics could provide the prison with more knowledge than they already had and increase the limited volume of their own library. As they reached to doors he gave the signal and Bob stepped forward from behind him and opened the door, holding it open as Daryl stepped out into the hall to give the all clear.

            There were a multitude of rooms lining both sides but they were on the lookout for the classroom with the storage room attached to it. A room caught the eye of the group, a white sheet hanging and belongings strewn about, they entered it carefully, clearing it before looking for anything useful they could find.

“Alright, make this quick.” Daryl grabbed a bottle tossing it into his pack along with anything else he could get his hands on, he’d let somebody more qualified decide if it would be worth keeping.

“Jackpot!” He found himself trailed by Tyreese as they left the lab and came into an area which housed a multitude of vials and bottles behind glass cabinets.

“Don’t see no IV’s or nothin’.” He nodded to Tyreese who was opening cardboard boxes and tossing them to the side when they proved fruitless.

Michonne and Bob finally joined them.

“Gonna check out the other rooms, see if we can’t find what’s on the list.” Daryl told them before tapping Tyreese’s shoulder for him to follow.

            They went across the hall and checked to room but came up empty. It wasn’t until the next room that they found what they were looking for, the room was set up as an almost exact replica of a clinic. Models of animals were on display and they knew as soon as they saw it that they would find what they were looking for. Sure enough as they opened the cabinets underneath the work stations they were met with bags of saline solution, lines, pumps, and boxes of hypodermic needles and catheters. They were the proverbial kids in a candy store each one stuffing their bags to the brim with whatever they could get their hands on.

            Daryl had filled his bag to the point it almost couldn’t shut and went looking for something else to store supplies in. He found an old laundry bag and emptied the soiled lab coats before going back to fill it with what was left.

“You know I love my sister. Sasha, she’s the only family I got.” Tyreese stood with his bag shouldered watching him, “It’s hard. What happened to Karen-”

Daryl looked up, pausing in his stuffing of the bag, “I get it, people handle grief differently. Just don’ let it take ya out along with it.”

“We good?” Tyreese backed up as Daryl stood eyeing him.

“Yea we’re good.” He nodded, “Let’s get back an’ see if we got everythin’.”

They hurried back into the dark room to see Michonne placing bottles in a bag before walking back to the cabinets to do a final sweep.

“How’d you do?” Bob questions while zipping the backpack closed.

“Bags, tubes, clamps, connectors. Everything on the list.” Tyreese let them know with a grin.

“How ‘bout y’all?”

“We got it all.” Bob affirmed and Michonne backed him up.

“Yea, we’re good.”

“Alright, let’s roll.”

            Daryl took the lead taking them down a long hall, wires torn from the ceiling and tables and chairs strewn about making them weave through to get by. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement shining his light inside the room to get a better view he saw a walker come out from behind a makeshift curtain. Without hesitating he began to run down towards the door marked ‘Exit’. He waved everyone through the door before making his way into the dark room, it was impossible to see without a window to let in light.

“Hey guys! Door's busted!”

“Alright hold up.” Daryl ran for the door to move whatever he could in front of it to prevent the dead that was chasing them into the room. They could hear growling from the other side and they knew they had to find a way out.

A scuffle in the dark was heard and when they finally got a light on Tyreese he had dropped a stray walker. They all headed for the padlocked door, hands and fingers reaching out to them in attempt to grasp onto a food source. It was almost impossible to estimate how many there were on the other side waiting for them.

“How many do ya think?” Michonne was right next to him, her sword drawn ready for a fight.

“Can’t tell.”

“We can take them.” Tyreese took a step towards the door but Bob rushed to prevent him from going any closer.

“No! They’re infected same as at the prison! We fire at them, we get blood on us. We didn’t come all this way to get sick.”

“We gotta do somethin’. Either we face the ones on our ass or the ones through this door.” Daryl grabbed a pair of bolt cutters he found next to the door and waiting for any input.

“Do it!” Everyone tightened their grips on their weapons and prepared themselves to face the onslaught of dead on the other side.

As Daryl cut open the locked door the walkers behind them finally made their way inside, pushing ever closer to the group. Luck was on their side, only three were in front of them as they chopped them down pushing forward into the bright stairwell. They raced to the top, their thighs protesting from the rate at which they took the steps. On the next floor the door slammed shut behind them attracting a group of walkers that had been lurking in the halls. Four pairs of eyes darted around searching for an exit route but were coming up empty.

“It doesn’t have an exit.” There was a rare panic in Michonne’s voice.

“So we make one.” Daryl had learned a thing or two from the CDC as he jumped up on the ledge of the window ready to attempt busting the window.

“Look out!” Tyreese shouted, his voice strained as he lifted a large fire extinguisher to his shoulder and hurled it through the window causing it to shatter.

            Daryl held out his hand helping Michonne up and out, jumping over to a landing that would provide them safety. Tyreese followed next and Daryl took a look behind him to see Bob waiting for him to jump. When Daryl landed he made room for the last member of the group to get across, his heart skipping a beat when it looked like the thin framed man had overshot it and would go over the edge. Bob clung to his bag tightly was the walkers down below pulled, trying to drag him down along with it.

“Bob let it go!”

“Let it go man!”

“Just let it go”

            All three were pulling at Bob, trying to get him to release his grip on the bag and make sure that they didn’t lose him over the side. The struggle didn’t last long before they were finally successful in getting him up and away from the swarming walker group below. Red flags were flashing all over Daryl’s mind as he stalked towards the bag that had landed with a clunk.

“What’s in the bag man?” He flipped open the top and grabbed the bottle.

“Ya got no meds in your bag. Just this?” Bob was silent, his eyes trained to the bottle, “Maybe you shoulda kept walking that day.” Daryl prepared to fling the bottle when out of the corner of his eye he saw Bob reach for his holstered gun.

“Don’t.” Bob's voice was small, Michonne and Tyreese looked at the quiet man in stunned silence.

Daryl pushed past them to get to Bob, pushing him back physically with his body their foreheads touching as blue eyes glared down into avoiding brown. He grabbed the gun his eyes never leaving Bob’s face before grabbing Bob by the front of his shirt.

“Just let it go Daryl. Man’s made his choice nothing you can do just gotta let it go.” Tyreese called out but this wasn’t something he could let go.

“You really gonna shoot me over a bottle of booze?” Daryl asked him incredulously, “You have the balls to think these two wouldn’t drop your ass? For what, huh? That sob story about the Big Spot run. You really sorry for what happened to Zach?”

“I didn’t want to hurt nobody. It was just for when it gets quiet.” There was remorse and fear in Bob’s face.

“I should beat your ass in the ground for the shit you just pulled.” Daryl detached himself from the man, gun and bottle still in hand.

“What are you going to do?” Bob watched through shame filled eyes the movement of the bottle in Daryl’s hand.

“We’re leavin’ with what we came for.” He passed the gun to Tyreese before picking up his crossbow.

            Looking down at the group of walkers he took a look at the bottle and flung it as far as he could where it landed with a crash, the liquid seeping into the concrete. As soon as it landed heads turned sharply and the slow shuffle towards the sound began giving them an opportunity to get down from their perch and make it back to the van. Daryl ignored the angry tears of frustration that rolled down Bob’s face, this was strike three. He was grateful that it was almost over because the next time a run needed to be made he’d think twice before weighing himself down with the burden of situations like this.

\----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ------------ ----- ------------

            A loud thump from outside caught Beth’s attention and she paused herself from stroking the crown of Judith’s head. Letting Judith know where she was going she slunk off to the door, opened it a crack and peeked out. Rick and Carl were down the hall and she could tell they were both tense, their tones gruff with one another. She couldn’t make out what they were saying but the body language alone screamed that it wasn’t something she should really be watching. When Rick turned and left she was caught under Carl’s gaze like a deer in the headlights, big blue eyes wide from the crack in the door. She watched as Carl picked up the bag that had been slid to him and walked over to her in a mock authoritative way, like a child who was playing cop.

“Aren’t you supposed to be separated from everyone? Door closed?” She opened the door a little wider and frowned at him.

“I heard you an’ your dad, just wanted to see what was goin’ on.” She rested her head against the frame and watched him.

“Well you saw. Get back in your room.” Beth laughed outright at the command.

“You _do_ know that I’m older than you right?”

“Dad put me in charge. I’m responsible for everyone here, making sure none of the sick slide by.” Beth let her eyes dip to the gun at his side and frowned, there was nothing worse than a person on a power trip. Let alone a boy with a gun who thought he had something to prove.

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Been locked up for two days already, goin’ on three. At least you get to walk around in the halls.”

“I shouldn’t even be in here. I need to be out there. I can help them! My dad just doesn’t see that.” Carl kicked the floor in frustration.

“He’s just worried about you, that’s all. It’s different when you have somebody else to look after.”

“I’m taking care of Judith for him. Can’t he see that I am capable of taking care of myself out there too?”

Beth raised her eyebrow at him. She’d heard Rick asking Carl to look after Judith and she hoped that they seriously didn’t think that looking in on her once a day qualified as actually watching her. It had been two days and Rick hadn’t come to talk to Beth about Judith, hadn’t asked how she was doing. Beth could understand that there were things out there that required his attention with so many of their own either sick or away, but Judith was his _daughter_.

“Taking care of her? When was the last time you changed her? Or fed her? _I’ve_ been taking care of her, you’ve been checkin’ in on her.” An angry look crossed the boy’s face.

“What else would you do? Your first run you almost die, responsibilities should be given to those who can do them. _I_ can do them.” Beth reeled back as if she’d been sucker punched.

“You need to remove that self-entitled stick you have up your ass,” She spat at him, “You think you’re somethin’ special running around with a gun. Too cool for story time with the other kids, too cool for the Legos an’ toys that get brought in. You think you know so much Carl but let me tell you, you don’t. Yea, I almost died on my first run. You got shot on a walk through the woods with your dad! Things out there _can_ kill you, an' every time _anyone_ goes out there they risk not coming back. An’ if they don’t, it don’t mean they were weak, or did somethin’ stupid, or weren’t capable! If you want your dad to take you seriously then act like you deserve it! Listen, an’ do what you’re told, we’ve all got jobs to do. Do ‘em right or don’t do ‘em at all.”

            She slammed the door on him denying him any chance at responding to her tirade. She wince when Judith started crying but knew that it had been worth it. The look of shock and outrage on his face had been worth it. She remembered the boy who had arrived at the farm and the one that had stood before her appeared to be a warped individual. A man-child who demanded the respect and privileges that came with age but was still a spoiled and selfish child crying over what he wanted and when things didn’t go his way. Beth would eventually have to talk to Rick about it, she knew why he had given Carl the gun but once the risk of people turning in the prison diminished she’d ask for him to take it away once more.

\----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ------------ ----- ------------

            Evening came quickly marked by dinner being left at her door; dried fruit and two bottles of water was hardly anything but she wouldn’t complain. The monotony of being shut in the room was a draining experience, she found herself slipping off to sleep more often than not. If Judith sensed anything was amiss she was shy of showing it instead playing with the limited toys and keeping herself amused. When the first wave of gunfire came she had called out to the empty halls for Carl, when he didn’t come she knew he had gone off leaving those quarantined alone. She hadn’t been the only one to come out of her room, she could see other heads poking out looking up and down the halls.

“Everyone, get back in your rooms. They’ll send somebody to let us know if we need to move to the bus.” Beth tried not to let her voice waver and belie her own fear.

“What’s goin’ on out there?” She heard a voice call out.

“Everyone get ready in case we gotta move. Get your bags packed and wait. I don’t want anybody leaving!”

            Mumbles and the sound of doors closing met her and satisfied that nobody would go running out to investigate the gunfire she closed her own. As time progressed the echoes of gunfire tapered off, only the occasional shot rang out indicating that whatever was going on outside was drawing to a close. Beth strapped Judith in her car seat and waited for word from anybody, if something came she’d be ready to get the two of them out safely. The minutes ticked by and still nothing, she decided to open her door and watch the hall where she knew somebody would be coming through.

            The creak of the door caught her attention and caused her to look up; Rick, Carl, Daryl and Michonne walked in. A deep scowl formed on her face when she noted how clean each of them were, they’d been at the showers and had left everyone anxious. Her movement caused them to look up at her and she headed over to them, Judith left by the door in her carrier content to chew on an oversized set of keys.

“What happened?” She looked at each one before Rick straightened up stepped forward.

“We’ve all talked an’ we’re gonna have everyone stay here for the night. There isn’t enough room in B for everyone an’ they’ve already got a room here.” The information made her scowl deepen, she didn’t want to spend another night locked away.

“It’s been two days for them Rick. Can't we at least walk around now?”

“I’d rather y’all didn’t. We still don’t want to risk this spreading when we’ve only got so much to treat it. Tomorrow we’ll regroup an’ see what the council says.”

“Rick, I’ve been locked in a room for three days. I am sleepin’ in my bed tonight.” There was a bubble of resentment stewing inside her, “Daryl, Michonne, you’re on the council. Do you think it would be alright if I go back to my cell for the night?”

            She watched as they glanced sideways at one another able to communicate without verbalizing. They seemed to be weighing their options and what was best for the group.

“It can’t hurt any.” Michonne finally broke down.

“She’s watching Judith.” Rick piped up, two sets of blue eyes were on him in an instant.

“I _was_ watching Judith. Her parent is here now, you are here.” She challenged him.

“I don’t want to risk exposing her, you’re the only one who hasn’t been in direct or indirect contact with it.”

“What about Carl? He’s responsible enough to watch his sister for a night isn’t he?”

“No,” Rick shook his head, his voice firm, “He’s been outside now. Around me, around us.”

There was no way in hell she was staying another night, and as much as she love Judith, Daryl was back and she wanted needed to talk to him. _Daryl_ thought Beth, she let her eyes linger on him, both watching one another. She stalked forward breaking into his personal space and with one hand she reached up and grabbed him by the back of the head pulling him towards her. Their lips met, Beth’s pressed against Daryl’s and as she slipped her tongue along the closed seam of his lips she felt a wave of relief when he opened them for her. Beth sighed as she felt his tongue brush against hers finally overcoming his initial shock. She pulled back but didn’t step away from Daryl.

“Looks like I’m in the same boat as all y’all now. But you’ve been symptom free Rick, you can either take Judith back to your cell or spend the night in that room there,” She pointed to the room that had housed her for the last two nights, “Tomorrow I’ll be more than happy to watch her if you want but not tonight.”

            Beth saw the internal struggle of Rick, his jaw visibly ticked and Beth knew that she had acted out. Her job had been to look after Judith, but she had to wonder where her job ended and Ricks began. He shouldn’t be allowed to shoulder off his responsibilities as a parent to her and she hoped that Michonne and Daryl could understand her frustration. When nothing was said she stepped back into Daryl’s chest hoping to gain some strength from him and was glad when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We need to let these people know what’s goin’ on. Ease their minds an’ let ‘em know what’s goin’ on so we can get some rest.” Daryl offered and it seemed to appease him as he nodded and stepped towards the door and peered down at his daughter for the first time in two days.

“I’ll handle everyone here, you two enjoy yourselves,” Michonne gave them a wink before eying Rick who was fumbling with the buckle on the carrier to get Judith out.

            They whispered a thank you each before heading out the doors, Beth was shocked to see the mayhem that filled the yard. It was no wonder it had taken them so long to reach the administration building, tomorrow would be spent clearing the bodies from their lawn and picking up the downed portion of fence. The walk was quiet but not uncomfortable, Beth noted that Daryl hadn’t removed his hand from her shoulder, keeping her at his side as they headed for their block. He stopped her at her cell and she looked at him questioningly.

“Aren’t you comin’ in?” She watched him debate what he should do, “Or am I goin’ up?”

“Thought you wanted to spend the night in your own bed?” His eyes shifted to her cot.

“Yours. Mine. O _urs_. The way I see it I’ll be sleeping in my bed either way.”

             Daryl gave a grunt and nodded his head towards the stairs and they both began their ascent, the sound of their feet hitting the metal reverberating off the walls. When they reached his dark cell he promptly tossed aside an old shirt that had been laying on his cot, not caring where it landed or if it even ended up in the laundry. Beth watched him as he slowly moved, taking off his vest and boots before climbing on top of the small cot and with a hand behind his head motioned for her to join him.

              Beth shucked off her boots before removing her pants and her outer tanktop leaving her standing before him in just her socks, panties and thin tank. She hurried to him, working to position herself comfortably against him, curling into his side her head on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around her. They lay together like that, Beth concentrating on matching her breathing with his own and before she knew it her eyes began drooping slowly.

“Did everything go alright? Everyone make it back.” Beth waited for a response and looked up to see his eyes watching her.

“Everyone came back.”

“That’s good, right?” She smiled up at him but it was short-lived when he didn’t return it.

“I think it’ll be a while ‘fore I go out there again with anybody.” She nodded settling back into his chest listening to his heart pound in her ear.

“That bad huh? Shoulda taken me, I’d’ve kicked ass an’ taken names.” She smiled at the rumble of his chest as he let out a chuckle pulling her in tighter.

“What was with you an’ Rick? Ass Kicker gettin’ on your nerves that bad?”

“Nothin’ like that. It’s been stressful, I’ve been locked up, you’ve been gone, Daddy took off to A. I had nobody to talk about with except when Maggie came to visit but that never went past a few minutes.” Beth played with his shirt, “I’m glad you’re back Daryl. I was worried about you.”

“Missed you too.” His words slurred together and she knew that sleep would be claiming him.

“You too tired to fool around?” She let her hand dip low but received no response from him.

            Beth glance up once more to see his eyes closed, his breathing even and deep. She would have to be satisfied with him just holding her tonight, they’d have many more nights ahead that they could be with one another. As her own eyes struggled to stay open she knew she’d missed the opportunity to talk to him but she knew tomorrow would be the day. Daryl needed a bit of happy news with the week that they had been having, especially after hearing about the trouble he had on the last run. Tomorrow, she vowed, tomorrow she would tell Daryl about her talk with Carol and the very real possibility she was pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have tweaked a few things that happened in the show. I don’t think that Daryl should have backed down from Bob who put himself at risk and did threaten to shoot him so I ‘fixed’ it. Yes! You all already knew that she was pregnant but now so does she (and Carol) and this is going to make things much more interesting for the chapters ahead. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. If you catch anything wrong or just want to let me know what you think so far let me know in a comment. I appreciate everyone who has left one so far and the kudos as well.


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